Finally
by Whisperwings
Summary: Continuation of And Then... Arianna and Marina have already been through a lot, but the most important battle has yet to come. And in the midst of it there's love to make things more complicated. Not all stories have happy endings, but we can always hope.
1. Chapter 1

What if…Finally

Chapter 1

"No, try it this way." Arianna said patiently. She knelt to the ground and straightened the feet of the boy she was working with. "Keep your feet right here. It may feel wrong at first, but in the end you'll get used to it, and you'll be able to keep your balance better." The boy grinned in thanks and shifted, trying to get comfortable in the stance. Arianna stood and went to another boy. She corrected his grip on the wooden sword's hilt. The next in line also needed correcting. She stepped in and grabbed his arm mid swing. "Swing using more of your elbow and wrist, not your shoulder." She told the boy. He looked at her, confused.

"But, swinging from the shoulder feels stronger."

"With this particular swing, your goal is speed, not strength. If you swing from the shoulder, your enemy will easily be able to tell exactly what your planning, and be able to disarm you. The elbow and wrist movements are more subtle and quicker, so they won't know what hit them." He nodded in understanding and tried again, his face fierce with concentration. Arianna stepped back and looked over those she had affectionately started to call her Ducklings.

At first, Arianna had simply found two boys practicing with the swords they had been given before the battle of Helm's Deep. They hadn't ended up using the swords during the battle itself, but were now eager to learn to use them properly. Arianna had subtly helped them learn the proper stances and grips, and then gone on her way as the boys hacked at a helpless tree stump they'd found. The next day however, the two boys came and found her again, this time with a friend or two, and they'd asked her to teach them. Since then her impromptu class had grown to about ten students. They came when they could, so the numbers were never steady, but the afternoon lessons had become a normal part of life after the people of Rohan camped for the night.

"You have a way with them." Arianna turned to see that she and her charges had an audience. Not only parents of some of the children, but also her friends and family: Gimli, Aragorn and Legolas. It was Gimli who had spoken. Arianna grinned at him.

"I've always liked children." She admitted. "And this group is eager to learn, so it's enjoyable to teach them."

"Their mothers are happy to have them out from under their feet as well, I'm sure. Although I don't know if most of them want their daughters here." Aragorn pointed out. Arianna looked at the end of her line of students. There were two girls there; practicing just as hard as the boys they had joined.

"Their mothers might not like it, but I'm proud to be teaching these girls; they have spirit. I wouldn't be surprised if they are future Shield Maidens, or maybe even some of the first female Riders." Legolas elbowed her as she sat down next to him on the log.

"Don't get your hopes up too high. Things are slow to change; it may be a while before the King even considers allowing girls to join the Riders." He told her. Arianna sighed.

"I know, but still. These girls are the start of something, I can feel it. They're making a difference just being here today. And it is only the first of many things that will cause things to start changing around here." They watched as the children continued to practice, Arianna occasionally giving instructions from her seat. Eventually they were joined by Gandalf who stood near them, leaning on his staff as his eyes took in her students.

"You've done a fine job with the younglings, Arianna." He finally said, and she grinned at him.

"Why thank you oh great one. I don't suppose you're going to actually be seen with us for once are you?" She teased. Gandalf had been spending most of his evenings with Théoden and his head men, planning their next moves and how they were going to build up the kingdom again. As a result, the rest of them had hardly seen the wizard except in passing.

"If that were the case, I suppose it would be suitable for me to be seen with a princess, would it not?" Gandalf teased back. Arianna scrunched up her nose; she hated the title of princess, and ignored it to the best of her ability. Legolas leaned over and whispered in her ear.

"You know if you do that long enough, your face will get stuck like that." Arianna had to laugh and smacked his hand as he sat straight once more. She then turned back to Gandalf as if nothing had happened.

"So what are our plans then? All we've heard are the soldier's plans to spend the first night back in Edoras having a huge party and getting very, very drunk."

"Before that, we'll be making a little side journey. Tomorrow, we shall split from this group and make a detour to Isengard to find our little friends." At that Arianna stood.

"We're going to bring back Mari and Pippen?" she asked excitedly. The white wizard nodded solemnly, but his eyes twinkled at her happiness.

"Finally!" she shouted, spinning around. She then noticed the odd looks she got from the nearby adults and even her students and sat down again, trying not to let her excitement bubble over. Erynion, her owl, flew over and sat hooting happily on her knee. He could tell she was excited and didn't feel embarrassed about having people stare at him.

Soon various meals all over camp were finished, and her students ran off to their waiting families. Arianna and her group also ate, eagerly scooping up the rabbit stew Arianna had been able to make from rabbits that Legolas has shot while on scouting duty during the day and herbs she had found as she'd walked. They'd been living off of potatoes for days, and the change was refreshing. Once they were finished, Gimli fell asleep and Aragorn wandered off to speak to some of the Riders he had made friends with. This left Arianna and Legolas. Arianna was content to just sit there in silence, but Legolas grabbed her hands and pulled her into a standing position.

"Come on, there's something I want to show you." He said and dashed off into the shadows around the camp. Arianna was quick to follow, but despite her confusion he refused to tell her anything about where he was taking her. They reached a cliff face and Legolas started climbing right up the side. Arianna rolled her eyes, but stopped asking questions, saving her breath for the climb. Finally, they reached the top, and her eyes were dazzled by the sudden sunlight. Legolas pulled her up and led her to a rock where they sat to admire the view. Down in the camp it was already dark as the sun had gone behind the cliff. But here at the top they could see for miles, including the spectacular sunset over the distant hills. As they watched, the colors gradually changed from golds and yellows to rose, and finally to purple and the deep blue of the night sky. Stars were slowly appearing, twinkling in the dark expanse above and behind them. Legolas put his arm around Arianna's shoulders and pulled her close. She relaxed and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I wish the sunset would slow down. It's going much too fast for my taste." She said softly. She felt Legolas's silent chuckle. "I'm serious! I'm almost afraid to blink, because I might miss some tiny part of it. It goes so fast that even the smallest pieces make a difference in how spectacular the color scheme is. I just don't want it to end, because then it'll be back to a dark valley and more work coming in future days." As she finished, the last rays went behind the horizon, and almost instantly, the entire sky was dark. Rather than see the vast emptiness, she turned and buried her head into the crook of Legolas's neck. In response, he pulled her close and wrapped both arms around her back.

"Ari, it only ends if you let it. From now on, whenever you feel overwhelmed, just close your eyes and imagine that you're here. Sitting with me, holding you tightly, the two of us watching our own eternal sunset. Just don't do it in the middle of battle, or you'll end up dead." He teased. Arianna chuckled and sat up. She stood and stretched her linked hands high above her head.

"I suppose we should get some sleep, we'll be riding harder than we have for a few days if we want to rejoin the camp by the end of the day." She pointed out practically. Legolas stood and grabbed her hands and lowered them until they were down at their sides again. He kissed her nose and she smiled.

"You're already doing it. Now stop thinking for a few more minutes, we were having such a nice time."

"I'm sorry, I cannot help it." She said sheepishly. "I just keep thinking about the list of things that need doing, and I can't—" She was cut off when Legolas's lips met her own. She very happily shut up and let him pull her deeper into it. When he pulled back he looked at her blissful face.

"Now what were you saying?" he asked.

"I have no idea." She said grinning. He smiled back.

"Good girl." And he kissed her again.

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The next day, the group was up bright and early and they were on their way before most families were even awake. They had been traveling along the edge of Fangorn Forest for much of their journey thus far, and they were soon surrounded the trees. The ride was still easy going however, because the land they rode on was still flat grassland rather than the uneven forest ground. The trees had not originally been where they now stood. Towards the end of the battle of Helm's Deep, the forest itself had pulled up its roots and moved to where they could do the most damage. From what they knew, many had decided to help eliminate Saruman's army and had decimated the retreating force. Arianna assumed that Marina or Pippen, hopefully both, had somehow worked with the Ents to convince them to take action. The Ents were usually very slow to do anything if it didn't directly involve the survival of their forest, and it would have taken some careful negotiating to get them to do anything at all. As they rode throughout the morning the terrain suddenly became wild and unpredictable, and they knew they were within the forest's natural boundaries.

"It's good, defiantly from the Shire." Pippin told Marina. His voice was low and slightly slurred from the large amount of drinking that had been going on between the two. Marina had no doubt she sounded less than sober herself. Pippin however was also smoking the pipe weed they'd found in Saruman's storeroom. The combination of tobacco and ale had long since gone to his head.

"Longbottom Leaf, eh?" she asked him for clarification. Pippin nodded, a silly grin on his face.

"I feel like I'm back at the Green Dragon…" he said slowly.

"Oh the Green Dragon!" Marina said with a happy sigh, her mind instantly full of happy memories of time spent with her friends at their favorite pub back in the Shire.

"A mug of ale in my hand, putting my feet up on a settle after a hard day's work." Pippin said, his own feet sticking out into the open air, as if he did indeed have a foot stool to set them on. Marina snorted at him.

"Only, you've never done a hard day's work." She pointed out. Pippin nodded in agreement and they both burst into laughter.

Arianna clicked to her horse to make up with the rest of the group. As the riders neared Isengard, the trees got thicker if anything, which was odd as its lands had once been very carefully planted and cared for. They soon heard laughter, which Arianna instantly recognized as the hobbits they'd come to find.

As Gandalf led the way out of the trees they came to the crumbling wall of Isengard and saw Marina and Pippen lounging on top of it. She watched and laughed as Pippin stood, if a bit unsteadily.

"Welcome, my Lords and Lady, to Isengard!" He announced proudly as if he himself were the king who ruled from the tower behind him. Marina beside him smiled happily and waved at the group.

"You young rascals! A merry hunt you've led us on, and now we find you feasting and…and smoking!" Gimli cried in jealous outrage. Pippen leaned forward importantly.

"We are sitting on a field of victory, enjoying a few well earned comforts." He said. "The salted pork is particularly good." Arianna groaned as Gimli got a dreamy look on his face.

"Salted pork?" He asked, his voice slow. Gandalf shook his head muttering 'Hobbits…' Arianna chuckled at the truth of his statement.

"We're under orders from Treebeard who has taken over management of Isengard." Marina told them proudly. Arianna raised her eyebrows at the name. Legolas noticed and wondered why; it wasn't as if she didn't know about the Ents, did she find them odd for some reason? But then they were moving forward, Marina joining Èomer on the back of his horse, and Pippen clambering onto the back of Arianna's. She ruffled his hair before she turned and rode onwards. She looked around in awe of the flooded place; it looked nothing like the Isengard she knew.

"Did you two manage to do all this?" she asked Pippen.

"Well, it was the Ents mostly, but Marina and I were a key part in it happening at all." He boasted. Arianna chuckled.

"Don't let your head swell too much there young sir, we wouldn't want it to explode." They reached the tower and a long familiar form stepped forward.

"Young Master Gandalf. I'm glad you've come." Treebeard said in his slow, hesitating way. "Wood and water, stock and stone I can master. But there's a wizard to manage here. Locked in his tower." They all looked up at the stark stone tower. It was a forbidding place on the best of days, but now, surrounded by destruction it looked even more cold and empty.

"Show yourself." She whispered, her eyes searching the various balconies and windows that she could see.

"Be careful." Gandalf warned them. "Even in defeat, Saruman is dangerous."

"Then let just have his head and be done with it." Gimli said impatiently.

"No." Gandalf told him. "We need him alive. We need him to talk."

"You have fought in many wars and slain many men, Théoden King, and made peace afterwards." Said a voice out of nowhere. They all looked up to see Saruman himself, standing on the roof of his tower, using magic to speak to them as if he stood on the ground in front of them. "Can we not take counsel together as we once did old friend? Can we not have peace, you and I?" Arianna looked at Théoden, waiting for his reply.

"We shall have peace." He began. "We shall have peace when you answer for the burning of the Westfold, and the children that lie dead there. We shall have peace when the lives of the soldiers whose bodies were hewn even as they lay dead against the gates of the Hornburg are avenged! When you hang from a gibbet for the sport of your own crows, we shall have peace." Arianna grinned rather savagely and looked back up at the evil wizard. As Saruman and Gandalf spoke, Legolas had to wonder if Arianna knew how fearsome her smile now was.

"So you have come for information. I have some for you." Arianna's eyes narrowed as Saruman held out a sphere. She didn't know what it was, not to its full extent. But for reasons unknown, it frightened her greatly. "Something festers in the heart of Middle Earth. Something you have failed to see. But the great eye has seen it. Even now, he presses his advantage." Gandalf slowly rode his mount, Shadowfax forward ahead of the group. "His attack will come soon, you are all going to die. But you know this Gandalf. You cannot think that this mere boy will ever sit on the thrown of Gondor. This exile, crept from the shadows, will never be crowned king. Gandalf does not hesitate to sacrifice those closest to him. Those he professes to love." Arianna grimaced at the word. A word such as 'love' had no right to be spoken by this evil wizard who didn't even know its true meaning. "Tell me, what words of comfort did you give the Halfling, before you sent him to his doom? The path you have sent him on can only lead to death."

"I've heard enough." Gimli announced. He said to Legolas "Shoot him, sick an arrow in his gob." A much as Arianna would have enjoyed that, she knew it wasn't time to kill the man yet. She held out and hand to stop Legolas from reaching for an arrow. She shook her head, but both dwarf and elf could see that she didn't like allowing this snake to live.

"Come down Saruman," Gandalf called out. "And your life will be spared."

"Save your pity and your mercy," Saruman shouted. "I have no use for it!" With that, he thrust the end of his staff in their direction, and fireball swept down and surrounded Gandalf. The intense heat forced the rest of them to back up, trying to keep their horses calm and on all four legs. Soon, the fire faded away and there sat Gandalf without a hair out of place. Saruman seemed shocked, although it was hard to tell when she couldn't really see his face.

"Saruman," Gandalf cried. "Your staff is broken" And suddenly, it was. Pieces of the wood fell down the length of the tower, sinking to the bottom of the waterlogged area. Saruman's hand still stuck out in the air, as if it couldn't believe that the thing it had held for so long was no longer there. A dark head peeked out from behind the wizard dressed in white. It was Grima Wormtongue, the onetime adviser to king Théoden. The king looked at the man with an odd compassion.

"Grima, you need not follow him. You were not always as you are now. You were once a man of Rohan. Come down."

"A man of Rohan?" Saruman asked in what Arianna thought was disbelief. "What if the House of Rohan, but a thatched barn where brigands drink in the reek, and their brats roll on the floor with the dogs?" Arianna blinked her wide eyes and bit her lip, it was quite an insult. "The victory at Helm's Deep does not belong to you, Théoden Horse-master. You are a lesser son of greater sires." Arianna hoped he wouldn't listen. Saruman's specialty was to play off the fears that already lay in your heart.

"Grima," he said instead. "Come down. Be free of him."

"Free? He will never be free." Saruman said, and then turned and slapped the man for something he'd said. Gandalf tried to regain control of the situation.

"Saruman, you were deep in the enemy's counsel, tell us what you know!"

"You withdraw you guard, and I will tell you where you doom will be decided. I will not be held prisoner here!" Saruman shouted. Then to everyone's surprise, He stopped talking and grunted in pain. Grima had stabbed him in the back! Legolas swung up his bow and shot the worm, but it was too late. Even as he fell back, Saruman toppled forwards off the edge of the tower. He fell in what seemed almost like slow motion, coming to s sudden stop as he landed on a large spike of a water wheel. She watch in a sort of grim fascination as the wheel turned until the body was hidden under the water. As his feet went under she voiced a thought.

"He had nice boots." Legolas, Gimli and Èomer all looked at her oddly; they too were ignoring Gandalf, Théoden and Treebeard. "What? He did." Suddenly, Pippen swung himself down from behind her, splashing through the water. "Pippen!" she called after him, getting the attention of the king, wizard and Ent. The hobbit bent down, the water coming up almost to his chin, and brought up the sphere that Saruman had held out earlier. Arianna still had a feeling of dread just looking at it. Gandalf rode to the hobbit.

"Peregrin Took. I'll take that my lad." Pippen handed it over, but he had an odd shifty look about him as he did so. It reminded her uncomfortably of the way people acted with the One Ring. Boromir had acted the same way once when he'd had to give the evil thing back to Frodo once. But Pippen seemed to shake it off, and he waded back to her. She gripped his arm and swung him up behind her once more, and the group started making their way out of Isengard, accompanied by Treebeard. She rode forward to ride at his pace at the front of the group.

"Hello Treebeard." She said conversationally. "Or should I skip right to Uncle?" The Ent looked at her, squinting slightly.

"Arianna? Little Strider? Is that you?" he asked in surprise. Arianna smiled widely, happy he remembered her. "It's been so long since anyone had seen you, I wasn't sure if you were still alive or not!"

"Of course I'm still around, Shepherd, I've just been busy for these last years. I'm sorry I haven't been able to visit you sooner, but then; it would have rather difficult to find you. You've been dormant for a while from what I hear."

"True, true. You make a good point youngling." At this Pippin found his voice.

"Wait, you two know each other?" he asked in disbelief. Arianna laughed.

"While I was training to be a ranger, I spent a time living in Fangorn. Treebeard found me one day, I was completely lost. He carried me back to the camp I had made, and took it upon himself to take care of me for a while. He taught me all sorts of things about the forest. He's also the one who gave me the name Strider. Well, Little Strider actually, but I left off that bit. Imagine, a ranger calling herself 'Little Strider'? I think I'd lose the little intimidating edge I actually _have_ if I introduced myself like that." Treebeard laughed at that in his slow deep way, and then they were at the wall. There they parted ways, Arianna waving to her old friend as they rode into the trees once more.

"How is it you know everybody?" Marina asked from where he sat behind Èomer. Arianna laughed.

"I certainly don't know everybody, Mari. For some reason, I simply seem to be running into the few people I _do_ know everywhere I go on this journey. I'm not going to complain though; it's wonderful to be able to see old friends again." Then they reached the edge of the forest, and Gandalf led the way, galloping off back to Edoras, and what was sure to be quite the party.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Their arrival at Edoras seemed to have been greatly anticipated. The moment they'd all dismounted, Arianna and Marina were grabbed by Èowyn and dragged to her rooms. There, they all got ready with the help of a few servants. Marina's dress had to be pinned and finished before she could even put it on, seeing as they didn't have any hobbit sized dresses readily available. In the meantime, Arianna worked on her hair making it extra pretty for the upcoming party. They took their time getting ready, spending their time in Èowyn's rooms and having a grand time with girl talk. Erynion happily spent time with ladies, loving the way they cooed over him. It was something the males would certainly never do! Only when the party was soon to begin did they head out to the main rooms.

It was a tradition of sorts there, that for great feasts the men would sit and the women would enter later. It was a tradition Arianna hadn't appreciated until now. She was looking forward to the look on Legolas's face when she emerged from the hallway. She knew Marina was hoping to impress Pippin and Èowyn was going to be watching Aragorn's face for a reaction. Arianna was happy for Marina, but only felt remorseful for the inevitable rejection awaiting Èowyn. Aragorn was still head over heels in love with Arwen, and wouldn't give that up for anyone. Arianna was sure Èowyn would find someone of her very own though. She was a good, kind and strong woman; she deserved a man who'd appreciate that.

As the men took their seats, Erynion flew from her shoulder, going to land on Legolas's. She smiled down at Marina who grinned back.

"Oh how I've missed celebrations!" the hobbit girl said happily. Arianna had to admit it was nice to have something to celebrate again. The past few weeks had been too hectic to really have a night of fun. Marina pulled nervously at her dress; it was different to the kind she'd usually wear. It was deep blue, lined with rabbit fur around the wide collar and the hems of the sleeves and bottom of the dress. A belt of woven gold chains wrapped around her waist, tiny sapphires set into the metal. Her hair was down for the most part, only the front sections braided and pulled together at the back of her head with a blue ribbon. The rest hung in soft curls to her waist. "Ugh, these sleeves will drive me insane by the end of the night." Marina groaned, tugging on the draping sleeves which almost reached the floor. Arianna chuckled.

"You'll get used to them. Just be careful when you're eating not to drag them through your food." She suggested. "I learned that the hard way." Marina giggled and Arianna grinned. Finally they could go in, and she gave Marina a little nudge. The hobbit went first, and Arianna noticed Pippin's face go slack for a second before he beamed at her and waved for her to come sit next to him. Arianna smiled and entered the room herself, loving how Legolas's normally expressionless face shone with happiness at the sight of her. Her dress was cream, with a red sleeveless overdress. Silver cord edged the fabric and silver embroidery swirled across the red fabric. Her hair had been brushed until it shown, and pinned up on the crown of her head and around her circlet which was now silver swirls. Èowyn had pulled a few pieces loose to frame her face.

"You look lovely." Legolas said in her ear as she sat beside him, and she smiled at him gratefully. He wore an outfit similar to the one he'd had back in Lothlórian, an ice blue tunic and blue breeches. They made his blue eyes seem even bluer to her. Legolas was thinking something similar about her. The red of her dress only enhanced the green of her eyes. They were lost in each other's eyes for a moment, only coming back to the present when the room went silent.

Èowyn was taking the king's cup to him, handing the golden goblet to him as she bowed. Théoden took it with a small smile and raised the goblet into the air. Aragorn stood, and everyone followed suit, raising their own drinks into the air.

"Tonight, we remember those who gave their blood to defend this country. Hail the victorious dead!" The king said.

"Hail!" Arianna said along with the rest of the crowd. She however only took a small tip of the rich ale while most others drained their mugs. She'd prefer to keep a clear head, even on a night of celebration such as this.

Soon after the initial toast, the hall had become filed with joyful chaos. Everyone was drinking, shouting, singing and dancing. It was almost impossible to not be having a good time. Legolas had actually been roped into a drinking contest. Something Arianna wasn't going to miss no matter what. Erynion seemed to agree. He sat on her shoulder hooting merrily, and it sounded like laughter to her ears.

"No pauses, no spills." Èomer was saying to the elf and Gimli.

"And no regurgitation." Gimli said with a grin as Arianna grimaced. If the game came to that, she'd be out of there faster than smoke from a fire.

"So, it's a drinking game?" Legolas asked, though it was more a statement than a question.

"Aye, the last one standing wins." Gimli said jovially.

"My money's on Legolas." Arianna stated. Her bet was taken up on by three others right away, all of whom she happily accepted. She'd lived around the elves long enough to know that their alcohol tolerance was far beyond both dwarves and humans. She'd be making a nice pocketful of money when this was over.

Only about ten minutes later, both Gimli and Legolas had gone through at least 15 mugs of ale each. Legolas's pile was neat and orderly, while Gimli had just tossed his mugs onto the table willy nilly.

"Here here! It's the dwarves that go swimming with little hairy women!" Gimli said, before downing another mug, the foam covering his beard. Legolas stopped for a second, looking worried. He examined his hands.

"I feel something…a slight tingling in my fingers. I think it's affecting me." he said. Èomer raised an eyebrow, looking between the elf and his large pile of empty mugs.

"What'd I shay?" Gimli said, slurring. "He can't hold hish liquor!" his eyes crossed and he fell backwards, hitting the floor with a thump that rattled the table. Legolas turned to Èomer with a smug grin.

"Game over." He said nonchalantly with a shrug. Arianna smiled and turned to those she'd bet against, holding out her hand for her winnings. Marina and Pippin, who'd come to watch, both cheered and grabbed mugs of their own. They then wandered off to see what else was going on in the huge hall.

"I can't see anything." Marina said, feeling small amongst all the Big Folk.

"I think I see Gandalf." Pippin said, grabbing her hand and leading her towards the wizard. Marina followed, concentrating on making the sudden blush fade from her cheeks rather than where she was going.

"Why hello young hobbits, having a good time?" Gandalf asked as they popped out of the crowd.

"A grand time." Marina corrected with a smile. "The ale here is _almost_ as good as it was at the Green Dragon!"

"The Green Dragon?" a new voice asked. It was Gamling, the king's second in command. Pippin nodded, happy to educate the Rohirrim people about the best ale house anywhere.

"Yes sir, the Green Dragon!" he said.

"It's an Inn in the Shire." Marina explained.

"And it has the best ale in all of Middle Earth." Pippin summed up proudly.

"Better than this? I doubt that greatly." Gamling said with a smile, raising his own mug to his lips. Pippin knew Gamling was teasing, at least Marina did, but Pippin still looked offended.

"Much much better." Pippin said. "We've been perfecting our ale for countless generations." He said, sticking out his chest.

"Is it worth singing about?" the man asked and Pippin nodded. "A song then lad!" Gamling said loudly. Men around them cheered and Pippin hopped up onto the table where he started a song about the Green Dragon itself. Marina laughed at his antics when he waved for her to join him. She smiled and hitched up her dress, climbing up to join him on the table top. Once there, they preformed the song they had sung so many times before, dance moves and all. Finally they reached the final verse.

"Oh, you can search far and wide  
You can drink the whole town dry  
But you'll never find a beer so brown  
As the one we drink in our home town.

You can keep your fancy ales.  
You can drink em by the flagon  
But the only brew for the brave and true…"

Oddly, Pippin stopped mid-line, staring at Gandalf for a moment. "Pippin!" She called, getting his attention once more. He shook off whatever he'd been thinking about and turned back, ready to conclude the song.

"…But the only brew for the brave and true  
Comes from the Green Dragon!"

She and Pippin clanked their mugs together and drank their individual drinks right down as the crowd about them cheered. "I win!" Pippin said happily as they hopped down.

"You? You stopped mid-song, I think I win!" she said with a laugh.

"I was done with my drink first though."

"Doesn't matter, you couldn't even sing the song straight through. I win no matter what."

"So you say, but that's changing the rules. Whoever finished their drinks first wins the game."

"But that game comes after we sing the song. If you can't sing the song, then the game changes entirely." Pippin opened his mouth, closed it and nodded.

"That actually makes sense."

"Of course it does, I thought of it." Marina said smugly, skipping over to the dance floor and beckoning for Pippin to follow.

As the night wore on people left in bunches. Some were heading to bed and some to other nightly activities. All were very loud and happy though. Marina and Pippin spent their time chatting with all sorts of people, Marina in particular spent a lot of time talking with Èowyn and the other shield maidens. Arianna spent her time with Legolas for the most part, others joining them and leaving as they pleased. As the party finally dwindled down though, Legolas went outside in search un-smoky air, and Arianna sat on the lone couch near the fire, waiting with Èowyn for everyone to leave. As the lady of the Hall, it was dictated that she not leave until the last guest was gone.

Èowyn was soon nodding off to sleep though and Arianna smiled, lifting her friend's feet onto the couch where she'd been sitting and covering the girl with a robe she'd discarded earlier. She stretched, watching as the last of the party goers headed home. She followed them out the door, looking out at the surrounding lands.

The night was beautiful, and for once not very windy. The air was still…so still it made the hair on the back of her neck prickle. She shivered, though she wasn't cold, and noticed Legolas standing to her left. She went to stand beside him.

Legolas knew the moment she'd come outside. He could sense her shiver in the too-still air. He didn't even have to look to know it was her that stood now beside him. Her presence was so familiar, so comforting, that it was difficult to be away from for long. Almost without thinking he took her hand in his own, and her left hand came up to hold onto his arm as her head came to rest on his shoulder.

"Something isn't right." She muttered. Her senses had always been high for a human, Dúnidain or not. He nodded.

"Saruman is restless tonight." he told her. She sighed, sounding weary. He released her hand as he sat down at the edge of the stone platform supporting the golden hall, and she sat beside him, being careful with her dress. He wrapped his cloak about her, hugging her close. Together they sat, watching the empty expanse. Soon Arianna fell asleep, and Legolas smiled at her peaceful face. He chuckled quietly as Erynion flew outside to join them, looking half asleep himself. He settled in Arianna's lap, covering his head with a wing and puffing up to a ball of feathers. It passed from the late night to early morning as they sat. About an hour before dawn, Aragorn came to join them, sitting on Legolas's other side. He noticed his sleeping twin and made sure to stay quiet.

"The stars are veiled." Legolas said softly. "Something stirs in the east. A sleepless malice. The Eye of the enemy is moving." Arianna stirred and awoke, sitting with a yawn. She blinked a few times then her eyes narrowed.

"Something is coming." She said darkly.

Inside, Marina was half asleep, kept partially awake by Pippin's tossing and turning. Finally she came fully awake, propping herself up on one elbow. She placed a hand on Pippin's arm and he calmed a bit, taking a deep breath as he settled. She smiled, watching him sleep for a moment, and lay back down. She was just drifting off again when she heard him gasp awake and sit up. Maybe he'd been having a nightmare? But rather than rolling over and going back to sleep, she felt him get up. She opened her eyes and propped herself up once more.

"Pippin? Whatever are you doing?" she asked. He jumped and spun at the sound her voice, making her eyes narrow in suspicion. "What's going on?" Pippin didn't answer, simply waved for her to be quiet and she sat up the rest of the way. "Pippin?" he still didn't answer, simply turned to Gandalf.

The wizard had his arm wrapped around the cloth covered Palantír, the glass orb they'd gotten from Saruman earlier that day. More frightening was the wizard's eyes, which were open despite being asleep. Pippin saw them and jumped, then waved his hand over the Gandalf's face to make sure he was really asleep. Then, of all the odd things to do, Pippin grabbed a chamber pot, which was hopefully empty, and replaced the Palantír with it in Gandalf's arms. It was roughly the same size and shape, and Gandalf didn't seem to even stir. Marina however was now frightened.

"Pippin, are you mad?" she asked in a fearful whisper. He brought the bundle to the foot of her bedroll and started pulling apart the layers of the cloth covering.

"I just want to look at it! Just one more time…" Marina's breath caught in her throat at that. The One Ring came to her mind, and the way it made people want it for themselves. And now the orb was doing the same thing to Pippin!

"Put it back!" she ordered, still whispering. He was transfixed though. "Pippin!" she whispered again, then she gasped in fear as he reached out both hands to touch the frightful Palantír. "No! Pippin, please don't do this!" she exclaimed.

Outside, Arianna, Legolas and Aragorn still stood, feeling the unnaturalness of the air with every pore of their skin. Legolas looked up in fright.

"He is here."

"The orb…Pippin!" Arianna said, scrambling to her feet and dashing towards the door, leaving a miffed Erynion to follow behind her.

Inside, Pippin laid his hands on the orb, and it started to glow like fire. His hands latched on, and he couldn't seem to let go. And worst of all, Pippin's eyes closed as if he was in terrible pain but unable to make a sound.

"Pippin!" she exclaimed, no longer trying to be quiet, but trying to wake the others up. "Help! Gandalf, someone, please!" Gandalf awoke at the same time Arianna, Legolas and Aragorn rushed into the room. The others in the room woke as well, scrambling to get out of the way. Marina didn't notice, her eyes were fixed on Pippin who was now writhing in pain, his mouth open in a silent scream. She was sobbing though she hadn't noticed it yet, calling out his name over and over.

Aragorn was the first to reach the hobbit, and he grabbed the orb from his grasp. He seemed to faint for a moment, his limbs going limp like a doll's. Legolas and Arianna hurried forward to catch him, and the orb rolled from his hand. Gandalf grabbed the cloth it had been wrapped in before, and tossed it over the Palantír, hiding it from sight.

"Fool of a Took!" he exclaimed, not for the first time, as he turned. Marina sobbed still, looking at her best friend, who lay on the floor as if dead.

"Pippin?" she whispered through her tears. He wasn't breathing, and she collapsed to her knees in fear. Gandalf rushed to his side, putting one large hand on his head and the other taking the hobbit's hand. Finally Pippin gasped for air again and Marina let out another sob, this time of relief. Arianna's hand gripped her shoulder, making she didn't fall over herself. Pippin struggled a bit, looking around in fear.

"Look at me." Gandalf ordered. Pippin did so, though he still looked terrified. Marina wrapped her arms about herself, trying to calm the fear she'd felt the moment before.

"Gandalf…forgive me!" Pippin said.

"Look at me." the wizard ordered again. "What did you see?"

"A…a tree. I saw a white tree. In a courtyard of stone…it was dead. The city was burning!"

"Minas Tirith? Is that what you saw?" Gandalf asked, hoping for clarification.

"I saw…I saw Him!" Pippin said, terror filling every syllable. Marina shivered once more. "I could hear his voice inside my head!"

"And what did you tell him? Speak!" Gandalf ordered, his sharp tone making the already frightened Pippin jump where he lay.

"He asked me my name…I didn't answer." His eyes went distant and fearful once more. "He hurt me!" Marina's shivers came back yet again, and she was grateful she was already on the ground. She would have collapsed otherwise.

"What did you tell him about Frodo and the Ring?" Gandalf demanded. Pippin stared at him, looking guilty for a moment, but it faded as he shook his head.

"Nothing. I didn't say anything else." He whispered. Gandalf sighed and pulled back, going back to his cot in the corner, where he sat and placed his chin in his hand, thinking. Marina crawled forward, and touched Pippin's knee lightly. He still lay on the floor and only now did he look at her.

Pippin was terrified. He'd never heard anything as horrible and painful as _his_ voice. All feelings of joy and happiness had left his mind, leaving only the worst of his memories. A light and shaking touch on his knee made him look over, only to see Marina. Her hair was still mussed from sleep, and she wore only her nightdress. But what drew his attention was her over bright eyes and tearstained face. She gave him a shaky smile as he looked at her but it was forced, he could tell. Without a second thought he sat up and drew her close to him, not wanting to let go. She buried her face in his shoulder, wrapping her arms about his waist tightly. He felt her take a deep uneven breath, and he could feel fresh tears seep through his own shirt. He watched as Gandalf stood and dressed, Arianna helped Aragorn to his feet and Legolas left the room, Gandalf following him. Soon Legolas was back, whispering in Arianna's ear. She nodded and came towards him.

Marina looked up to see Arianna and pulled away from Pippin, wiping her eyes. She stood and grabbed her clothing, leaving to get dressed in Èowyn's room as Arianna nodded at her. Pippin was told to get dressed as well, and she sighed. It had been a wonderful party, but it seemed it was time to get back to the dark reality of their lives.

_-----------------------------------------------_

_Hello hello everyone! I realized the other day that I didn't actually put my author's note thingie on the first chapter, silly me ^^; Anyways, hiya! I'm alive! And posting! It's a miracle!!!! I haven't posted anything on here for ages, something which really needs to be remedied. I need to stop making new stories and finish some of the ones i'm alrady in the middle of, that'd probably be a good start, eh? Lol._

_Anyways, I hope you're enjoying the story so far, and please review! It means so much to know what people think! Thank you everyone for all the story favorites so far, but reviews really do mean the world to an author :D And it makes my day so very very happy! Which I need right now, being a junior in college is really starting to take it's toll..._

_So please review, thank you!_

_Your Humble Authoress,_

_Whisperwings_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Once everyone was dressed again, they met in the great hall, for an audience with the Théoden and to discuss what had happened. Marina and Pippin sat on a bench, back a bit from the group. They both knew it was easier to stay out of the way rather than interfere. Arianna paced back and forth, worry in every move she made. Legolas stood calmly, though his eyes followed Arianna more often than watching those talking. Aragorn and Gimli stood on either side of the elf, both looking back and forth as Gandalf and the King talked.

"There was no lie in Pippin's eyes." Gandalf was saying. "A fool…but an honest fool he remains. He told Sauron nothing of Frodo and the Ring." Marina crossed her arms. Whereas she'd felt only fear before, now annoyance filled her mind. Why did he never listen? She started chewing on a thumbnail, not caring that Pippin hated it when she did so.

Arianna continued to pace, but she kept her steps silent so that she could listen to Gandalf's words.

"We've been strangely fortunate. Pippin saw in the Palantír a glimpse of the enemy's plan. Sauron moves to strike the city of Minas Tirith. His defeat at Helm's Deep showed our enemy one thing: he knows the heir of Elendil has come forth. Men are not as weak as he supposed; there is courage still, strength enough perhaps to challenge him. Sauron fears this. He will not risk the peoples of Middle-Earth uniting under one banner." His voice rose a bit, either in excitement or importance, it was hard to tell. "He will raze Minas Tirith to the ground before he sees a King return to the throne of men. If the Beacons of Gondor are lit, Rohan must be ready for war." Now Théoden spoke.

"Tell me…why should we ride to the aid of those who did not come to ours? What do we owe Gondor?" Arianna froze mid-step, turning to look at the man in disbelief. How could he still feel that way after everything that had happened?

"I will go." Aragorn offered unexpectedly.

"No." Gandalf said shortly.

"They must be warned!" Aragorn insisted hotly.

"They _will_ be." Gandalf explained patiently. "You must come to Minas Tirith by another road." He came forward to look Aragorn in the eyes. "Follow the river and look to the black ships." He said softly. Arianna doubted anyone besides her brother, Legolas and Gimli heard him, besides herself. The wizard then turned. "Understand this: things are now in motion which cannot be undone. I ride for Minas Tirith." He looked at the hobbits. "And I will not be going alone."

A few moments later, Marina was hurrying to keep up with Gandalf, who was moving swiftly towards the stables. Pippin was trying to keep up with her, obviously having no idea what was happening.

"Of all the inquisitive hobbits Peregrin Took, you are the worst. Hurry, hurry!" Gandalf ordered.

"Where are we going?" Pippin asked in confusion. Marina however was still too annoyed with her friend to be nice about things.

"Why didn't you listen to me? You just _had_ to look, why do you _always_ have to look?"

"I don't know, I can't help it." Pippin said, and Marina snorted.

"You never can."

"I'm sorry, alright? I won't do it again." Pippin said, stopping in frustration. Marina stopped as well, turned slowly and made her way back to him.

"Don't you understand? Sauron thinks _you_ have the ring! He's going to be looking for you Pip, they have to get you out of here!" she said fiercely.

"And…y-you're coming with me?" he asked hopefully. Marina didn't answer, simply turned and followed Gandalf to the stables. "Mari?" Pippin called, his voice no longer brave and sure. It near broke her heart.

"Come on!" she ordered instead of say anything. At the back of the stables Gandalf was waiting beside his lovely white horse. He lifted Pippin onto his back the moment he entered the stall.

"How far is Minas Tirith?" Pippin asked, looking down at the wizard.

"Three days ride, as the Nazgul flies. And you'd better hope we don't have one of those on our tail." Gandalf said with a look at the hobbit. Pippin look away guiltily, to see Marina holding out a small pouch.

"Here," She said. "Something for the road." Pippin smelled it in confusion.

"Longbottom Leaf? I thought it was all gone?" he asked her.

"I knew you'd smoke it all too quickly. You smoke too much Pip." She said. Her voice wasn't steady and he looked down at her in worry.

"But, we'll see each other soon, won't we?" Pippin asked her. He saw her look at Gandalf before looking back up at him.

"I don't know." She said in an unsteady voice. Her eyes were swimming with tears now and Pippin's chest tightened in an emotion he couldn't describe. "I don't know what's going to happen."

"Mari…" Pippin whispered weakly. She backed away as Gandalf mounted up, a tear trailing down her cheek.

"Run Shadowfax, show us the meaning of haste." Gandalf said to the horse. As they bolted forward Pippin saw Marina start to cry and felt his heart beat faster than he thought possible.

"Mari!" he shouted as they left the stable. Marina, no longer sure of what to do, felt only the need to not let Pippin out of her sight. She dashed from the stable, ignoring whoever was calling after her. She dashed to the nearest watchtower and climbed to the top. Once there, she went to the lowest gap in the wall surrounding the lookout platform, watching as her best friend rode off on a magnificent white horse in the company of a wizard. She gasped for air, more from emotion than from the physical exertion. She felt someone come up beside here and looked to see it was Arianna. She hurried to fix her eyes on the white horse in the distance once more.

"He's always followed me." she said softly, wiping away the tears she'd let fall. "Everywhere I went, everything I did…since we were young. I would get him into the worst sort of trouble, but I was always there to get him out again." Her chin wobbled and she struggled to contain her emotions. "And now he's gone…just like Frodo and Sam…" She clenched her jaw, knowing if she said anything else she'd start to cry once more. Pippin wasn't there anymore, he'd have to take care of himself…and she'd have to do the same. She had to be strong for him. Arianna placed a hand on her shoulder.

"If I've learned one thing from traveling with you hobbits, it's that you are a most hardy folk." She said. Marina grinned up at her shakily.

"Foolhardy maybe, he's a Took." She said, and they both chuckled. Arianna clapped her shoulder and led her back down from the watchtower.

"We have our own preparations to be making, we'd best get to it." The ranger pointed out. Marina nodded and dashed off towards the hall to repack her belongings. If Pippin was off to fight, she was going to play her own part. She wanted to fight as well.

-----------------------------

The next three days were frustrating for Arianna. Théoden wouldn't do a thing without cause. And until the beacons were lit, he wouldn't even make his decision. It annoyed her to no end, because Gandalf would make sure the beacons were lit, with or without the Steward's permission. So for three days, she had to sit around and do nothing. Well, it certainly felt like nothing. She continued to teach her 'ducklings' the ways of the sword, and she helped out around town, wherever she may have been needed. Most of the Rohirrim people seemed to think as she did, that the upcoming war was going to come, sooner rather than later. As such, her help was welcomed by all as they prepared and repaired armor, clothing and weapons.

Despite being so busy, Arianna still found herself with more free time than her body was accustomed to. So, she joined the Riders in their weapons practice, teaching and learning from them as she went. Marina joined her there as well, wanting to play a part in the upcoming battle. It'd help to know their way of fighting, and know the specific commands they used.

Three days after the departure of Gandalf and Pippin, Legolas was having a hard time finding Arianna. He'd searched Edoras from top to bottom, finally he climbed to a watchtower to see if a higher vantage point would allow him to find out where she was. He discovered her at last, outside of the wall, sitting on one of the flower covered hills which were the graves of the royal family. He raised an eyebrow in confusion and started towards the gate. It was odd enough that she was sitting still for once, but of all the places the graveyard was even stranger. As he came up behind her, he found her singing an off-key tune softly. He sat beside her, and though she didn't acknowledge his presence, he knew she knew it was him. She finished up the song and sighed.

"Is everything alright?" he asked her softly. She nodded, staring off into the distance absently petting Erynion who sat on her knee.

"I miss trees." She said with a crooked smile. "I miss green things and shade. I don't like it here…out in the wide open. I feel so…unprotected. But it's worse inside the wall of the city, where I feel like I'm in a cage." Legolas understood the dilemma all too well. He'd been feeling a similar emotion of late, trapped in a land where there was nowhere to hide. She stood and drew her sword, going through the basic pattern of exercises. It was something she'd been doing more and more often lately, he knew she was restless. So, he drew his two swords and entered the pattern, causing her to break it. Arianna looked at him in confusion, but a smile tugged at her lips.

"Are you sure this is a good idea? To challenge me?" she teased him, sliding her sword on his own blade, disengaging them from each other. Legolas just grinned and stepped into another swing, forcing her to step back or lose her head. She did so, but swung low at his legs, forcing him to do the same thing.

Up on the wall, Marina delivered water to those on watch. It was a job they'd given her to keep her out of the way, she was sure. She didn't mind though, it was a good excuse to think of anything but Pippin. She saw movement outside the wall and did a double-take. It was Legolas and Arianna, the blond and brunette were locked in what looked like a furious battle!

"What's going on?" she muttered to no-one in particular.

"They're practicing." Said the guard who was nearest to her. His eyes were watching the two fighters as well, his wide eyes filled with awe. Marina knew why, Arianna and Legolas were both using all their skills and tricks, neither besting the other, but it was obvious they were both very talented. They moved so quickly it was hard to follow the individual moves each of them made. It looked more like a dance than anything.

"Well of all the odd courtships I've seen, that has to be one of the oddest." Marina said with a laugh. The guard chuckled as well. A few others came up beside them, watching the mock battle. After about fifteen minutes, the fighters had an audience of at least twenty guards, and civilians crowded around the gate to watch. It was when Legolas sheathed his twin blades and pulled Arianna into a deep kiss that everyone cheered and wolf-whistled. Except Marina. Though she was happy for those she'd come to think of as family, the one person she wished could be here wasn't. She sighed and wandered off to find something else to do. She was in need of distraction once again.

-----------------------------

Three days later, Pippin awoke to see that the landscape had once again changed. They traveled through forests and fields, and now they were in the plains once again. For a moment he hoped that they'd turned around and gone back to Rohan, but he knew better as they crested a hill and stopped at the top. In front of them, carved from the mountain itself, was a city of grey.

"Minas Tirith." Gandalf told him. "City of Kings." He urged Shadowfax forward once more, and they entered the city at a full gallop. They turned and twisted their way up the city streets, Gandalf calling for people to make way the whole way up. Finally they reached the top, and Gandalf dismounted, helping Pippin down afterwards. After three days of almost constant riding it took a second for him to get his balance back, then he was forced to hurry after Gandalf as the wizard strode across a very large courtyard. As they went through it, he saw something which made his heart skip a beat.

"It's the tree Gandalf. Gandalf!"

"Yes, the White Tree of Gondor, the tree of the King." Gandalf said. "Lord Denethor however is _not_ the king. He is a Steward only, a caretaker of the throne." For a moment, Pippin was going to let this information go in one ear and out the other. Marina would explain things later on. He almost stopped in his tracks when he realized that Marina wasn't here to explain things anymore…he decided to pay closer attention. As he and Gandalf reached the large doors, the wizard paused.

"Listen carefully. Lord Denethor is Boromir's father. To give him news of his beloved son's death would be most unwise." He turned to enter, then right back to Pippin. "And do not mention Frodo or the Ring." He turned to the door once more, then once again back to Pippin. "And say nothing of Aragorn either." He turned to the door but Pippin didn't bother, simply waited for the next instruction he knew would be coming. "In fact, it's better if you do not speak at all, Peregrin Took." Pippin nodded, feeling sheepish, but knowing it was probably good advice.

They finally entered the hall, and started the long walk to the opposite end. To Pippin it felt lonely, and empty. Statues of previous kings lined the hall, like ghosts of a more glorious age. Pippin hurried to keep up with Gandalf's brisk pace, looking around at the cold hall in anxious uncertainty. At the end of the hall was a throne at the top of some steps. Beside those steps was another, smaller throne, it was here a man sat in a heavy looking fur lined robe. In his hand was a horn…one Pippin found very familiar.

"Hail, Denethor, son of Ecthelion, Lord and Steward of Gondor. I come with tidings in this dark hour… and with counsel." Gandalf said majestically. Pippin gasped involuntarily as the man looked up angrily, raising a horn in his hands, cleaved in two.

"Perhaps you've come to explain this. Perhaps you've come to tell me why my son is dead." Denethor said in a low gravelly voice. Pippin didn't like him right off, but the fact that Boromir died to save him and Marina…it made his feel responsible. He stepped forward, ignoring Gandalf's protesting grunt.

"Boromir died to save us, my kinsmen and me. He fell defending us from many foes." He knelt to the cold floor. "I offer you my service, such as it is, in payment of this debt." He thought Marina would have been proud of the words he'd chosen, though the action may not have been the smartest.

"This is my first command to you: how did you escape and my son did not? So mighty a man as he was." Denethor demanded. Pippin thought it was more a question than a commend, but he struggled to find the right words again.

"The mightiest man may be slain by one arrow, and Boromir was pierced by many." He said. He could practically feel Gandalf roll his eyes and he nudged him to his feet with his staff.

"Get up." He order, and Pippin hurried back behind him and out of the way.

"My lord, there will be a time to grieve for Boromir, but it is not now." The wizard said to the Steward. "War is coming. The enemy is on your doorstep! As Steward, you're charged with the defense of this city. Where are Gondor's armies?" he sighed a bit at the man's lack of answer. "You still have friends. You're not alone in this fight. Send word to Théoden of Rohan. Light the beacons." But Denethor looked only angry, rather than comforted by this.

"You think you are wise, Mithrandir, yet for all your subtleties you have not wisdom." He said angrily. "Do you think the eyes of the White Towers are blind? I have seen more than you know. With your left hand you would use me as a shield against Mordor. And, with your right, you seek to supplant me!" Pippin narrowed his eyes in confusion. "I know who rides with Théoden of Rohan. Oh, yes. Words have reached my ears of this Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and I tell you now: I will _not_ bow to this Ranger from the north. Last of a ragged house long bereft of Lordship!" Pippin's eyes went wide now. As Steward, he was only caretaker of the throne until the King returned, he couldn't keep it for himself!

"Authority is not given to you to deny the return of the King, _Steward_!" Gandalf said angrily. Denethor stood now, hunched over from the weight of his fur covered cloak.

"The whole rule of Gondor is _mine_, and no other's!" Pippin gasped at such a blatant outburst. He wanted to keep the power for himself! Gandalf was angry as well, and ordered for Pippin to follow him out. As they left the hall no longer felt empty, but full of greedy malice.

"All has turned to vain ambition." Gandalf said angrily as they left. "He would even use his grief as a cloak!" The door to the outdoor courtyard, revealing the wilted white tree, the carefully trimmed grass, and beyond the city wall, the fiery border of Mordor. "A thousand years this city has stood. Now, at the whim of a madman it will fall. The White Tree, the tree of the king, will never bloom again."

"Why are they still guarding it?" Pippin asked curiously as they passed the four guards protecting the tree, one for each direction of the compass.

"They guard it because they have hope. A faint and fading hope that one day it will flower. A King will come, and this city will be as it once was, before it fell into decay. The old wisdom borne out of the west was forsaken. Kings made tombs more splendid than the houses of the living, and counted the old names of their descent dearer than the names of their sons." They reached the end of the arrow point of the courtyard, facing the mountains which seemed to burn. "Childless lords sat in aged halls musing on heraldry, or in high cold towers asking questions of the stars. And so the people of Gondor fell into run. The line of kings failed. The white tree withered. The rule of Gondor was given over to lesser men." Pippin looked away at the sad history of what must have been a glorious people. Instead the fiery mountains drew his gaze once more.

"Mordor." He muttered.

"Yes, there it lies. This city has dwelt ever in the sight of its shadow." Gandalf said. Pippin shivered a bit. The idea of living in constant sight of such a horrible place sounded rather dangerous and very foreboding. The clouds above the mountains seemed to be drawing nearer.

"A storm is coming." He pointed out to the wizard. Gandalf nodded.

"This is not the weather of the world. This is the device of Sauron's making. A broil of fumes he sends ahead of his host. The Orcs of Mordor have no love of daylight. So he covers the face of the sun to ease their passage along the road to war. When the shadow of Mordor reaches this city, it will begin." Pippin shook at the idea of being trapped in this shadow of a city when the enemy arrived.

"Well…Minas Tirith. Very impressive. So, where are we off to next?" he asked in vain hope.

"Oh it's too late for that, Peregrin. There's no leaving this city. Help must come to us." Gandalf said, still watching the approaching clouds. Pippin sighed.

"I was afraid of that." He muttered. Then, a man came forward, with an offer to lead them to their rooms in the city. Pippin stuck his hands in his pockets as he followed Gandalf along, not paying attention to where he was going. He wondered how Marina was doing…what she was doing. He knew she was probably excited for the coming battle. She'd been itching to fight since Frodo and Sam had left. She'd seemed to think that she'd make enough of a difference to save their lives, and the fate of Middle Earth. Pippin had to smile a bit. Knowing her, she could do just that.

_-----------------------------------------------------_

_Woohoo, chapter 3! I'm really glad I have almost this entire story written already, because school has been bloody insane and I wold have had to make you all wait for new chapters otherwise :P_

_I do hope everyone is enjoying the story so far, please review!_

_Your Humble Authoress,_

_Whisperwings_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Later that night, Gandalf and Pippin returned to their rooms to find that Pippin's new "uniform" had been delivered. Gandalf went out to their balcony as Pippin looked at it all. Chain mail, surprisingly in his size, would be covered by a tunic of deep blue, silver embroidery created a white tree on the front, the symbol of Gondor. They'd given him a fancy sword and a helmet, pointed on the top like those of the other guards he'd seen.

"So I imagine this is just a ceremonial position." He mused aloud. "I mean, they don't actually expect me to do any fighting… Do they?" he asked the wizard, who was smoking his pipe out on the balcony.

"You're in the service of the _Steward_ now; you'll have to do as you're told, Peregrin Took." He coughed and Pippin poured him a glass of water. He handed it to the wizard who thanked him, even as he muttered. "Ridiculous hobbit. 'Guard of the Citadel'." Pippin ignored the entertainment the wizard was getting at his expense; his mind was focused on other things. Like the dark sky.

"There's no more stars. Is it time?" he asked. Gandalf nodded.

"Yes." Pippin took a deep breath and went to railing which came up to his chin.

"It's so quiet."

"It's the deep breath before the plunge." Gandalf said. It didn't make Pippin feel any better.

"I don't want to be in a battle." He admitted. "But waiting on the edge of one I can't escape is even worse." He looked up at the wizard. "Is there any hope Gandalf? For Frodo and Sam." He nodded towards the mountains of Mordor, where his two friends were probably even now trying to find a way in.

"There was never much hope." Gandalf said bluntly. He looked fondly down at Pippin. "Just a fool's hope." He looked back towards Mordor. "Our enemy is ready, his full strength gathers. Not only orcs, but men as well, legions of Haradrim from the South, mercenaries from the coast… all will answer Mordor's call. This will be the end of Gondor as we know it. Here the hammer stroke will fall the hardest. If the river is taken, if the garrison at Osgiliath falls, the last defense of this city will be gone." Pippin looked up at him, trying to be supportive.

"But we've got the White Wizard. That's got to count for something. Gandalf?" he asked, as if trying to make sure he was right in placing his hope in the wizard before him. But Gandalf wore an odd look, like a weary fear. It reminded Pippin of the look he'd worn before fighting the Balrog in Moria. And it scared him now.

"Sauron has yet to reveal his deadliest servant. The one who would lead Mordor's armies in war. The one they say no living man can kill: the Witch-King of Angmar. You've met him before, he stabbed Frodo on Weathertop." He explained. Pippin shivered, remembering the fearsome cloaked beings who'd attacked them so long ago, at the start of their journey. "He is the lord of the Nazgûl, the greatest of the nine. Minas Morgul is his lair." He sighed a heavy sigh and Pippin looked away, unsure of what to say.

At that moment, a light shone from the mountains, sickly green in color, shooting towards the sky like a Beacon. Pippin stood up straight, and unconsciously moved closer to Gandalf, who placed a hand on his shoulder. "We come to it at last." Gandalf said softly. "The great battle of our time. The board is set. The pieces are moving."

"I rather wish I wasn't around here to see it." Pippin said with false humor. Gandalf patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry Peregrin Took. You still have a part to play in this game. But not now. We'll need our rest, tomorrow will be a very long day." Pippin nodded and went to his bed, changing into his nightshirt and crawling under the clean sheets and blankets. But no matter how hard he tried, it was a very long time before he fell asleep. Finally, only after imagining that Marina lay beside him did he drift off, feeling lonelier and more frightened that he could ever remember being.

The next morning came swiftly, and Gandalf hurried him out of bed even quicker. He was ordered to get dressed warmly, it was still cold out in the early morning air. He fastened the green leaf brooch on his cloak as Gandalf ushered him out the door, closing it softly behind him. Then the wizard led him through the twists and turns of the upper levels of Minas Tirith, all the while heading towards a certain tower in the distance.

"Peregrin Took, my lad, there is a task now to be done." Gandalf said as he suddenly stopped. Pippin backed away in an effort not to crash right into him. "Another opportunity for one of the Shire-folk to prove their worth." Gandalf finished, turning and placing a hand on Pippin's shoulder. "You must not fail me." the wizard said, his voice full of meaning as he nodded toward the tower. Pippin realized at the top was an unlit bonfire. The Beacon of Minas Tirith. Lighting it would send a signal to Rohan, calling for aid. Pippin also realized what it was Gandalf wanted him to do. Guards patrolled the city from top to bottom, and by now they'd all know that Denethor was paranoid about Gandalf wanting the beacon lit. The only way to reach the Beacon without being stopped was to climb up the sheer rock tower it sat on. Pippin smiled and nodded at Gandalf. He nodded back and Pippin scampered off.

He reached the base of the tower only moments later, they hadn't been far when Gandalf had stopped. He imagined Gandalf was probably sitting somewhere within view of the Beacon, trying to look innocent and inconspicuous. He was also probably failing, Pippin thought with a smile. As he started climbing his mind wandered and he found his thoughts drifting, unsurprisingly, to Marina. He and Marina had climbed every tree in the Shire, and never took the road when a quick climb up a rock face would take only a fraction of the time. After everything she'd put him through, the Beacon's tower seemed like nothing. At least…until he started getting higher up. Not even the Party Tree in the Shire was this high of a climb. He gulped, told himself not to look down, and continued climbing.

He wished Marina could be there. Knowing her, she's declare the climb a race and turn the frightening challenge into a game. He had to smile as the thought of such a game made him climb faster. He wondered what she was doing right now…probably trying to stay helpful and busy. If not, she'd be sitting on the steps of the Great Hall of Edoras, watching the unlit Beacon on the nearby mountain top. The thought of that Beacon lighting up while she was watching made him climb faster once more. It'd be proof for his best friend that they'd made it to Minas Tirith. Even if they didn't know how crazy Denethor was.

It was deeper into the morning by the time Pippin finally reached the stacked wood of the bonfire at the top of the tower. He crouched behind the wood pile, peeking around to see if the guards were watching him. They were busy with their breakfast, watching the road which sensible people took up to the tower. They didn't suspect that a rather small someone would be climbing up the back way.

He climbed the wood quickly, reaching for a lamp which hung above it. Its purpose was to make it easier to light the fire, but it wasn't designed with hobbits in mind. As he reached his other hand went to brace itself on a pot of oil hanging directly below. One of the ropes holding the bowl snapped, and oil sloshed over the side, all over Pippin's trousers and the wood pile. Finally, standing on his tip toes, Pippin was able to grab the lamp which was hotter than he'd expected. He dropped it in an effort to save burnt fingers and the oil soaked wood caught immediately.

Even as a triumphant smile spread over his face, he looked up to see if the guards had noticed. Then he realized how quickly the fire was growing and backed away, his own oil soaked trousers on his mind. Last thing he needed was to catch fire. As he started the long climb back down, he heard surprised shouts from the guards of the Beacon when they finally noticed it was lit. He turned awkwardly, looking towards the mountains and the next Beacon in the chain. It was lit soon after and he smiled.

"The Beacon! The Beacon of Amon Din is lit!" Pippin heard a guard shout. Pippin had to smile at the annoyed look that must be on Denethor's face and the triumphant one on Gandalf's. It had been a good day so far.

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The following morning on the other side of the mountains, Marina woke with great effort. She hadn't slept well, dreaming of something horrible, though she couldn't remember what it had been. She sighed as she realized Pippin had been gone for four days already.

"I hope he hasn't gotten himself killed." She muttered, feeling grumpy. "Otherwise I wouldn't be able to kill him myself for getting himself taken away." She sat up and got dressed, determined to find something to do.

The morning went slowly. She helped in the stables, trained with both the Shield Maidens and the Riders, and took a short nap. When she awoke from it, she only felt more tired than she had before it. She made herself get up anyway, heading outside. She found Arianna sitting on the steps of the small house they'd been given, and sat beside her. Arianna look antsy herself. She was trying to keep still by carving something out of a chunk of wood and a dagger. So far it didn't look like anything and Marina tilted her head, trying to figure out what it would be. Arianna noticed and chuckled.

"I'm not a whittler." She said.

"I can see that." Marina said bluntly. Arianna sighed and chipped away some more of the wood.

"It doesn't really help when I have no idea what I'm trying to create either." She admitted, putting the wood aside and sheathing her dagger. Marina picked up the wood and inspected it.

"If you were to make this angle more pronounced…and carve out legs, you could have a horse." She invented. Arianna raise an eyebrow.

"Well, have at it." She offered. "You'd probably be better at it than me in any case." As Marina pulled out a small dagger she'd collected somewhere, Arianna leaned back on her hands, glancing at the Beacon of Minas Tirith once again. She'd been checking it every few minutes. Gandalf and Pippin should have gotten the Steward to light the Beacons by now, why hadn't they gotten the signal? She sighed and watched Marina carve the piece of wood. It was hypnotizing, and sooner than Arianna could have guessed, the shape of a four legged animal started taking form. "I knew you'd be better." She teased the hobbit and they both laughed. It felt good to laugh again. Arianna glanced up at the Beacon…and did a double take.

"It's lit." she muttered, her brain unable to grasp the concept for a moment. Marina's head shot up so fast Arianna was afraid she wouldn't stop whittling and cut a few fingers off. Rather than do anything else, Arianna stood and dashed towards the Golden Hall at the top of the city. She threw open the doors without ceremony, shouting as she went. "The Beacons of Minas Tirith! The Beacons are lit!" she came to a stop and looked at the king. Everyone else looked at him too, waiting for his decision. "Gondor calls for aide." Arianna added as a last resort. Théoden's decision could save or destroy the world of men single handedly. Finally he spoke.

"And Rohan will answer." He said with a confident smile. Arianna's knees almost gave out with relief. Instead she smiled herself, backing out of the way of Théoden and his best men as they left the hall to prepare. As he started directing him men to spread the call to arms to the various provinces Arianna smiled at Marina, who'd followed her to the Hall. She smiled back at her, then spun off to go get their things. Arianna went to the stables then, to saddle Vanya and lead her out of the way of the others preparing to leave the city. She passed Aragorn and Èowyn. Once more a pang of sorrow on Èowyn's behalf hit her, but she moved on. It was not her place to inform the girl of her unreturned feelings, but Aragorn's.

Meanwhile, Marina was nervously approaching the King. She was confident in her ability to fight, but she'd never really spoken to the man herself before. She finally came before him and he looked down at her.

"Excuse me but…I have a sword." She said, holding out the weapon which had practically become an extension of her arm by now. "Please accept it." She knelt and looked up hopefully.  
"I offer you my service, Théoden king." She said formally, though the excitement was perfectly evident in her voice. Marina wasn't sure if it was the action or the emotion which made his smile grow fond as he helped her to her feet once more.

"And I gladly except it." He told her. "You shall be Marina, a Shield Maiden of Rohan." Marina's smile grew tenfold and she nodded happily, trying to contain her excitement. Only after she left the King's presence did she allow her excitement to show in a cry of joy, but she was certain she could hear him chuckling at her. She went to find the others and found a surprise. A white pony had been saddled and awaited her. She slowed down, smiling softly at the pony.

"Well hello there." She said softly. "You're a pretty thing aren't you?" She looked up to see Arianna wink at her and knew it had been the ranger's idea to give her a ride of her own. Marina grinned back, but then her attention focused on her new mount.

Arianna settled herself into Vanya's saddle, easily finding a comfortable position. She patted the horse on her neck fondly. Erynion landed on the horses head, leaning forward to look Vanya in one eye. He hooted and the horse whinnied, and Arianna chuckled at the two of them.

"Ready for another adventure girl?" she asked. The horse whinnied and bobbed her head and Arianna smiled. She sat up again, looking to see a grumpy Gimli sitting behind Legolas.

"Horsemen, hmph." The dwarf scoffed. "I wish I could muster a full legion of dwarves, fully armed and filthy." Arianna smiled, but Legolas remained grim.

"Your kinsman may have no need to ride to war. I fear war already marches on their own lands." Arianna's smile faded, reality setting in once more. She saw Marina having trouble getting her pony moving and sighed. As the hobbit finally got the pony to move she joined in with the other Riders. Arianna knew that, despite the title Théoden honored her with, he wouldn't let her actually go to war. She believed she was going to fight for her dear friends while Théoden believed she would simply escort the soldiers to the encampment at Dunharrow, then ride back with the other women. Arianna, who was thought of as a man herself most of the time, would be going. She knew Marina would be devastated to be left behind. She had a feeling Èowyn would be feeling the same way. Arianna had seen the sword hidden amongst the things on her saddle, but her uncle wouldn't want her riding with the men. She shook her head as Èomer shouted to the men.

"Now is the hour, Riders of Rohan, oaths you have taken! Now, fulfill them all! To Lord and Land!" Marina smiled and spurred her pony forward, having the time of her life riding alongside such brave men. She saw Èowyn riding a bit ahead of her. While the woman's face showed no emotion, her eyes sparkled with determination and excitement. Marina felt the same way, and wondered if she looked half as majestic as Èowyn did. She kind of hoped so; she'd love to see the look on Pippin's face when she rode up with the Riders to save Minas Tirith.

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As Marina left Edoras, Pippin was standing at the wall of Minas Tirith. The day before, Gandalf had told him that Osgiliath was their last defense, and now it looked like it had fallen. What men were still alive were charging their horses back to Minas Tirith. Pippin realized they must have been fighting all night in an effort to keep the city under their control. Now that it was lost, they had no choice but to come back here with those who hadn't fallen in the battle. Gandalf, standing beside him, growled. Pippin looked to see why, then noticed what seemed to be large black birds. He gasped as they got closer. They weren't birds but black Fell Beasts, being used as mounts by the Nazgûl.

"They're attacking." Gandalf muttered. "Come Peregrin Took, let us bring the men home safely." He said, turning away with a swish of his white robe. Pippin nodded and turned to follow, scrambling to keep up with the wizard's longer legged stride. Finally they reached the stables, mounted Shadowfax, and rode down the winding streets of the city.

They rode through the gate, which the guards were kind enough to open then shut right behind them. Pippin however didn't feel frightened. Gandalf was confident in the task of saving the fleeing men. And though Pippin didn't know how he was going to do it, the wizard's confidence was rather contagious. As they drew closer to the fleeing soldiers, Gandalf raised his staff in the air.

"Don't look directly at the light." Gandalf said. Before Pippin could ask what light he was referring to, the top of the staff started to glow with such intensity that Pippin had to look away and shield his face. Thankfully Gandalf directed the light into a beam which he aimed at the Nazgûl. The Black Riders Screeched along with their Fell Beasts and turned away, leaving the men to reach Minas Tirith safely. Without any direction, Shadow fax started making a wide turn, coming to join the front of the charge as they all headed back to the White City.

As the gates were opened once more, everyone reined in their horses, slowing down as they entered the safety of the large walls. Bit by bit, the whole company crowded into the main square there, everyone upset, some injured, and all worried for the future.

"Mithrandir!" A voice exclaimed, and a man came forward. Pippin wasn't sure who he was, but he seemed to be the one in charge. Though Gandalf's sleeve kept him from getting a good view. "They broke through our defenses. They've taken the bridge and the West bank. Battalions of Orcs are crossing the river." He kept his sentences short, worry making him seem in a rush.

"It is as Lord Denethor predicted!" another man's voice said. "Long has he foreseen this doom!"

"Foreseen and done nothing!" Gandalf growled, turning his horse around. Pippin was finally able to get a good look at the man in change. He looked younger than he'd expected, minus eyes which looked like they'd be at home on an older man's face. He bore a surprising resemblance to Boromir. And he was also looking at Pippin as though he'd seen a ghost. Pippin looked down, embarrassed at the many reasons he could get odd looks from a man of Gondor. Gandalf had a different guess though.

"Faramir? This is not the first halfling to have crossed your path." He stated bluntly. Pippin looked up in shock, to see Faramir shake his head.

"No."

"You've seen Frodo and Sam?" Pippin asked happily, a smile spreading across his face.

"When? Where?" Gandalf demanded. Pippin knew he was just as worried about the two hobbits as he himself was.

"In Ithilien, not two days ago." Pippin wanted to shout for joy, but Faramir's face was not a happy one. "Gandalf, they're taking the road to Morgul Vale." He said grimly.

"And then the Pass of Cirith Ungol." Gandalf said, his own voice suddenly deep with sadness. Pippin was only confused.

"What does that mean? What's wrong?" he asked, looking between the two. Instead, Gandalf helped him down from the horse.

"Never you mind." Gandalf said. "You have a ceremony to dress for, go on." He said as he turned back to the other man. "Faramir, tell me everything you know." He said as they trotted up the city streets, headed for the royal stables. Pippin grumbled. Once again, he was being left in the dark. They could have at least given him a ride, they were going to the same place anyway. Now he'd have to walk all the way back to the top of the city. Pippin grumbled again and started walking. The sooner he got there the sooner he could get this ceremony over with…

Once he was finally ready, Pippin made his way through the building to the main hall once again. This time, he'd go through the indoor entrance, not the one through the courtyard with the Tree of the King. Looking at the tree made him sad. Of course, all he had to do was look down and see the symbol embroidered on his chest. He was wearing the fancy uniform he'd been given, and was anything but comfortable. The chain mail was heavy, and a little too short he suspected. Which was odd considering how short he already was…

"What were you thinking Peregrin Took?" he asked himself as he sat down on a cold marble bench. "What service can a hobbit offer such a great Lord of Men?"

"It was well done." A voice said. Pippin recognized it and stood. It was Faramir, wearing clean clothes of his own, with armor made more from hardened leather than metal chains. It looked much more comfortable than what Pippin wore now. "A generous deed should not be checked with cold council. You are to join the Tower Guard." He said, sounding somewhat surprised. Pippin, being his usual self, tried to make light of a situation, not wanting it to get awkward. He liked this Faramir fellow.

"I didn't think they would find any livery that would fit me." he admitted.

"Once belonged to a young boy of the city. A very foolish one, who spent many hours slaying dragons instead of attending to his studies." Faramir said, looking fondly over the outfit.

"This was yours?" Pippin asked, delighted.

"Yes it was mine. My father had it made for me."

"Well…I'm taller than you were then." Pippin said, feeling proud at being able to use the statement for once in his life. "Though I'm not likely to grow anymore. Except sideways." Faramir laughed and Pippin joined in. It felt good to laugh once more.

"Never fitted me either." Faramir admitted. "Boromir was always the soldier. They were so alike, he and my father. Proud, stubborn even. But strong."

"I think you have strength, of a different kind." Pippin said, knowing what Marina would say to him. "And one day your father will see it." Faramir gave him a grateful smile and Pippin nodded, glad to have found the right words to say. Then the guard at the door came out.

"Lord Denethor will see you now." Faramir put a hand on the suddenly nervous Pippin's shoulder and led him into the throne room.

_---------------------------------------------_

_I'm so bad at this, I was supposed to update this on monday . i'm not kidding, things have been insane and i'm doing my best to juggle everything. And for the record: i'm failing miserably... Anyways, sorry this is so late, but at least you won't have to wait so long till the next chapter! Every mushroom cloud has a silver lining, right? Right XD_

_Please review!!_

_Your humble authoress,_

_Whisperwings_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Inside the throne room of Gondor, Pippin was kneeling on the cold stone floor, swearing fealty to Lord Denethor, and wishing he could take back his promise to do so. He'd much rather swear fealty to his younger son, Faramir, who Pippin actually liked. He tried to focus on the words and not get anything wrong.

"Here do I swear fealty and service to Gondor. In peace or war. In living or dying. Fr… from… from… from this hour henceforth, until my lord release me, or death… take me." He swallowed, hating the words he was saying. He didn't want to die, he didn't even want to fight! He'd much rather go back to his room and hide under the bed until the battles were all over. Denethor stood, a smile on his face, though Pippin didn't like it.

"And I shall not forget it." The man said in a falsely gracious voice. "Nor fail to reward that which is given." He held out one hand, revealing a very large ring which Pippin, following previous instructions, kissed reluctantly. "Fealty with love. Honor with valor." He looked at Faramir, angry once more. "Disloyalty with vengeance." He swept over to a table where many large platters of food had been placed. Pippin raised his eyebrows, thinking of the hungry families living within the very walls of Minas Tirith.

"I do not think we should so lightly abandon the outer defenses." He said, in a very obvious hint. "Defenses your brother long held intact." Pippin wanted to snort with disbelief. Had the orcs attacked with the strength of the night before when Boromir was there? He doubted it. Only now did Saruman's forces need the outer defenses as a place from which to fortify their own attack.

"What would you have me do?" Faramir asked his father, sounding exhausted. He'd been trying too hard to win his father's love. Something no child should ever have to do.

"I will not yield the river and Pelennor unfought. Osgiliath must be retaken." Denethor said, not even looking at his son.

"My lord, Osgiliath is overrun." Faramir tried to explain.

"Much must be risked in war. Is there a Captain here who still has the courage to do his lord's will?" he still looked straight ahead, as if the one he was talking to wasn't even in the room. Pippin could see that Faramir's eyes were over-bright with emotion.

"You wish now that our places had been exchanged." He said. "That I had died and Boromir had lived."

"Yes. I wish that." Pippin barely kept his jaw from falling open at Denethor's words. How could any father say that about their son? That one was expendable while the other was favored. It made Pippin angry in a way he'd never been angry before.

"Since you are robbed of Boromir, I will do what I can in his stead." Faramir said, his voice full of emotion. He started to walk away and turned back to say one last thing. "If I should return, think better of me, Father." He asked.

"That will depend on the manner of your return." Denethor said and Faramir drooped, walking slowly out of the hall. Pippin, so in shock at the man's words, simply stood there, frozen for what seemed to be hours. He heard dimly as Faramir ordered the men to prepare to ride out once more. He also heard the shocks of disbelief coming from the officers under him. They were quickly silenced though. They knew Denethor's way of thinking, and they didn't want to discourage the others who' be fighting. Shortly after that he heard wailing coming from the lower city, women and children who found that their fathers, brothers and sons were being sent to an unwinnable battle. It broke Pippin's heart, and he just wanted to get away from Denethor.

The silence in the hall grew deafening. Pippin stood by, while Denethor ate with relish. He was concentrating on not fidgeting, his armor was itchy and it made it difficult to stand still. And listening to the sounds of Denethor's messy eating was grating on his last nerve.

"Can you sing, Master Hobbit?" Denethor randomly asked. Evidently the silence was too much for even him. Pippin scrambled for a moment, trying to collect his thoughts.

"Well, yes. At least, well enough for my own people. But we have no songs for great halls or…" he looked sideways at the horrible man. "Or evil times."

"And why should your songs be unfit for my halls?" Denethor asked. Pippin knew it was rhetorical, but he desperately wanted to tell the man how innocent the songs of the Halflings were, and he didn't want to tarnish them with memories of this horrible time. "Come, sing me a song." He ordered. Pippin searched his mind, searching for any song he could think of. Happy drinking songs fled his mind, leaving only one. A song Marina loved, she'd sung it so many times he knew it by heart himself.

"Home is behind, the World Ahead,

And there are many paths to tread.

Through Shadow…to the Edge of Night,

Until the stars are all alight.

Mist and Shadow, Cloud and Shade.

All shall fade, all shall…fade…" Pippin's voice faded as well as the song ended and he looked at an unmoved Denethor. Finally, thinking of the heartless man, his friends in danger, and his dear Marina, he broke down. He closed his eyes, attempting to hold back tears and failing. Without waiting for permission to leave, Pippin left the hall in despair.

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In Rohan, Marina was no longer riding her pony on the final leg of their journey to Dunharrow. She'd kept falling asleep in her saddle, and Èomer had taken pity on her, letting her climb on his horse in front of him so she could doze. She'd done so, and she'd had many odd dreams. She'd dreamed of a sickly green light shooting towards the sky and a pain in her shoulder, she'd dreamed a friend was losing control of his emotions and felt great worry on his behalf. Now, she was dreaming of a great hall of stone, but it was cold and heartless. She dreamed of a song, sung by someone who harbored a great sadness. Finally she woke with a start.

"Pippin!" she cried as she awoke. Èomer almost jumped at her sudden shout and gave her an odd look.

"What?"

"It's Pippin, something's wrong…" she muttered. Arianna rode up beside Èomer's horse looking worried.

"Mari, it was just a dream." She pointed out. But Marina shook her head violently.

"No..no it wasn't." she insisted. "Frodo is terrified, Sam is worried for him….and Pippin is sad enough to be sobbing. He was singing my song…" Arianna blinked a few times.

"How can you be sure?"

"I…I just am…" she said and explained her dream. Arianna thought it might be possible. She'd had dreams like that before. Those who were experienced seers could get full images, but novices with the gift often received emotions of those they were closest to. It helped when the friends were highly emotionally distressed, which would explain the dream Marina had.

"Well, weather you were getting real emotions from them or not, it's best to put them at the back of your mind. We're almost to Dunharrow." She reined in her horse a bit, slowing until Legolas and Gimli caught up and she stayed at their side. Èomer swung her down onto her pony and Marina slid her feet into the stirrups and took up the reins once more. Èowyn had given her pointers on how to ride a horse, and Marina had become good friends with her little white pony.

As they rode into Dunharrow Marina sat tall, she felt proud to be riding with such important people as the Rohirrim. It was almost as if she was a Rider herself. As they went through the encampment, various men shouted to Théoden how many men they'd managed to rustle up. Marina knew it wasn't enough though…with each report Théoden's face grew a bit stormier. Then she was distracted from such thoughts by Èowyn, who looked to need a distraction herself. She showed Marina where they'd be staying, on an outcropping high above the camp. Marina thought she'd fall backwards off her pony as they rode closer and she tried to see the top of the winding road.

The road to the high encampment was indeed winding. They went up single file, Marina riding directly behind Èowyn's horse. They'd take one incline at a time, turning almost entirely around to take the next. Marina had to wonder whose idea it had been to make those in charge go all the way up the mountain in order to rest after an already long ride. Finally they made it to the top, most of the tents already set up for their use. Marina and Arianna would be staying in Èowyn's tent. It was easily big enough for the three of them, and Èowyn said it was nice to not be stuck there all alone. Arianna went off to find her brother, at least as an excuse. She had a look in her eyes which made Èowyn and Marina both laugh once she'd left. No doubt she was off to find Legolas.

Arianna was indeed off to find Legolas. It had been a long day and she hadn't gotten to spend any time with him. She had to marvel at how much he'd managed to change her. Before, she'd never even thought of finding someone to love her, and now that someone did she found herself unable to stop thinking of him.

She found her brother first. He was looking at the mountain, more specifically the road leading into it. And he looked utterly terrified. She looked as well, but she didn't see anything. There was something unnerving about the pass, but no reason to turn pale as parchment as Aragorn had.

"Are you alright?" she asked. He jumped and spun to face her. She raised an eyebrow and he gave a weak chuckle.

"I thought I had seen…something…never mind." He said, shaking his head. Before Arianna could question him further, Gimli popped up with an offer of food. Arianna's stomach growled and she flushed.

"Oh really lassie?" Gimli chuckled. "Come on, the grub smells pretty good from the fire over there." He pointed and Arianna saw the higher officers sitting around the fire he'd indicated. Aragorn went to join them, but as Arianna and Gimli went to follow a number of nearby horses panicked as they were led past the path he'd been staring at. Legolas came over to them, muttering.

"The horses are restless, and the men are quiet." Èomer, who had been fixing up a saddle nearby stood to place it back on a fence where it could be grabbed later.

"They grow nervous in the shadow of the mountain." He told them. Gimli looked down the road Aragorn had been staring at earlier.

"That road there, where does that lead?" the dwarf asked.

"It is the road to the Dimholt; the door under the mountain." Legolas explained. Arianna's eyes widened a bit as she looked down the road.

"None who venture there ever return. That mountain is evil." Èomer said grimly as he followed Aragorn to the fire. Gimli went as well, but Arianna and Legolas stood staring down the road.

"It's not the mountain that is evil…not even the people inside it. They may be cowards, but they are not evil." She said softly. Legolas nodded.

"The curse that binds them is evil, in that it has forced them to stay in this world longer than they were ever meant to. Elves, Wizards and the Dúnidain…we were created for a long life, we grew being taught the wisdom of the eldest elders. We were raised knowing about death but not expecting it unless we fell in battle. Men though…their time here is so short, they are not meant to live such along life." Legolas said. Arianna nodded mutely and took his hand and they walked to the fire to join their friends in a good meal.

As the evening turned to night, it grew surprisingly dark. Marina had grown used to the open brightness of the plains surrounding Edoras. Now, in the shadow of the mountains it got much darker much faster. Èowyn was helping Marina to adjust what spare armor they could find to fit Marina's small size. The blacksmith had taken to the challenge with excitement, he could only re-sharpen swords so many times.

He'd found a chain mail shirt made of rings so small it looked like solid metal. It wasn't as strong as the thicker mail but it was much lighter, something Marina wasn't going to complain about. Marina and Èowyn had found tunics in the Rohirrim colors, and made pants of light brown and a longer tunic which looked almost like a dress, made from a larger green tunic. It went to Marina's knees, but had slits up the sides to allow her to move better. A belt around her waist held everything from shifting around as she moved. Gloves she'd made back in Edoras out of boredom were reused, metal rings sewn into the back to protect her hands. Finally, a helmet was adjusted for her, and the blacksmith was kind enough to add extra padding as she wasn't used to wearing such protection on her head. Despite this, Marina didn't like the helmet. It blocked her peripheral vision and she felt too enclosed. She decided it was better than having her skull crushed though.

Èowyn helped her to dress in their tent, they both wanted to see what everything looked like together. As she placed the helmet on Marina's head, Èowyn smiled.

"There, a true Shield Maiden of Rohan." She said, and Marina's smile bloomed.

"Really?"

"Oh yes." Èowyn assured her.

"Then I'm ready." Marina beamed, pulling out her sword. Èowyn hopped back a bit, startled but laughing. "Sorry." Marina said with a guilty smile. "It isn't all that dangerous though." She looked closer at the blade. "It isn't even sharp." She realized.

"Well that's no good. You won't kill many orcs with a blunt blade." Èowyn teased. "Back to the smithy now, go on!" she said. Marina dashed from the tent, practicing a few moves, trying to see if her new outfit would limit her in any way. The helmet still bothered her, but she'd simply have to deal with that.

The smithy was happy to help her with her sword, and asked if she had anything else she needed done. She remembered a dagger which could use some sharpening as well and dashed back to the tent to get it. She stopped short when she heard Èomer and Èowyn talking about her.

"When the fear takes her, and the blood and the screams and the horror of battle take hold, do you think she would stand and fight? She would flee and she would be right to do so. War is the province of men, Èowyn." Marina marched out of the shadows where she'd been hiding, feeling angry and betrayed. Èomer and those he sat with had been people she looked up to. And now here they were, doubting her and..and laughing at her!

"How many of you can say you were taught the sword by Boromir, son of Denethor, the Steward of Gondor?" she demanded of Èomer. She climbed up on the stool he'd been sitting on to better look him in the eye. "How many of you can say that of the four being taught, you, as a girl, were the best at it. How many of you can say that the One Ring came to your homeland, ruined the lives of your best friends, and now only you can fight to make things right? My people have no knowledge of war; we've never had to fight to protect our lands. And right now, they probably have no idea what's happening outside of the Shire. But I do. And no matter what anyone says against it, I _will_ fight for them. I will fight for my friends, for myself, and for all of Middle Earth.

"War may be the province of Men. But in my eyes, that's nothing to be proud of. For my people, our province is good ale and pipe tobacco. Our province is helping green things grow. I may not have grown up surrounded by death and loss, but that's something I'm willing to fight for, so that my children can grow up in peace as I did. I can follow orders as well as any of you. But I can also ignore them, and fight despite your doubts and orders to stay behind. You can try to discourage me as much as you like. But you'll fail, just as everyone else has failed to do so before this." She finished her speech and glared at her audience. No one would meet her eyes except Èowyn who was trying to hide a proud smile. Marina hopped down from the stool and got her dagger from the tent. As she went back passed the others they sat in silence. Èowyn's smile grew as she looked smugly at her brother.

"Something tells me she will be fighting no matter what." She said. Èomer looked up at her but she wouldn't let him start up again. "If she can stand up to you, then she won't have a problem against the orcs." She said, turning and going back into her tent as the others laughed at Èomer. Èowyn thought of Marina's bravery, her love for her friends, and her confidence that she could make a difference. A plan formed in her mind and she set out to get things prepared.

Later that night, after everyone had gone to bed, Arianna lay in the tent, listening to the deep breathing of Marina and Èowyn, both fast asleep. Arianna however could not. She tossed and turned for hours, cold one minute and hot the next. The blankets in her strange boat like bed were too light or too heavy, and were soon rumpled at the foot of the bed as Arianna simply sat there hugging her knees to her chest. Erynion sat at the head of her bed, fat asleep. Finally she came to a decision, though the choice hadn't been apparent until then. She stood, pulled on her pants and a loose shirt and left the tent silently. She soon reached a small tent which had been given to Legolas and entered, making sure the flaps were tied shut again before turning around. She looked at Legolas's sleeping form for a while, watching as he grew more and more restless. She smiled softly, he was waking up, he'd felt her presence as he always seemed to.

Legolas awoke with a start then sighed, wondering what had woken him up in the first place. He realized he wasn't alone in the tent and turned to see someone standing by the entrance to his tent. He sighed again; he could tell it was Arianna by the way she stood and her very silhouette.

"Is everything alright?" he asked as he sat up. She came forward, her footsteps silent and sat on the bed beside him. She simply stared into his eyes for a few minutes, no emotion on her face. Legolas was busy trying to keep himself from sinking into the green depths of her eyes. "Ari?" she placed a finger on his lips and smiled. His hair was mussed for once, something he would surely never let anyone else see. She finger combed it straight, studying his face as she did so. Legolas fingered her braid, pulling off the leather tie which held it together. He pulled it gently from its confines, loving the feel of her hair and its reddish color, even if he couldn't see it in the dark.

"Legolas…" she whispered, opening her eyes and looking back at him. "I love you." She finally finished. Legolas pulled her close and kissed her, more deeply than ever before.

"I love you to." He managed to get out between kisses as they both fell down to the bed. Unfortunately, they were interrupted only moments later by Gimli.

"Legolas, Aragorn's leaving, I can't find Ari…oh!" he said. Arianna clutched her shirt closed and sat up. She bit her lips together as she left to get ready in her own tent. She had to struggle to keep from laughing the whole way back. Thankfully both Èowyn and Marina were awake. Gimli must have woken them to see if they knew where she was. They both looked her up and down, from the mussed hair to the unlaced shirt and both raised their eyebrows in an identical look. Arianna smile broke loose and she just shrugged innocently, starting to get dressed.

"Pretending nothing just happened," Marina said with an obvious hint that she wanted to know, "Where are you going now?"

"After Aragorn." Arianna said simply. She went and hugged both of them, though neither of them were sure what was happening. "Good fighting, both of you. I hope to see you after the battle is over." She said and left.

"After the… She's leaving?" Marina realized with a squeak. Èowyn stood and left as well, no doubt going to find answers. Marina simply flopped back down onto her pillow, not bothering. Once again, her friends were leaving. She stood again and left the too quiet tent, wanting to find out was going on. She stopped short in shock when she saw Lord Elrond of Rivendell embracing Arianna. They shared a few soft words then she hugged him again and left to finish getting her horse ready. Marina came forward and stood in Elrond's path.

"What's going on?" she asked. Elrond looked down at her in surprise.

"Events are being put into motion which will change the course of this war Miss Marina Brandybuck." Elrond simply said.

"And once again, I'm being left behind." She pointed out. Elrond knelt in front of her to look her in the eye.

"You're place is here." He told her. "The road Aragorn is leading the others down will be a dangerous one. One you may not survive. Here, you have a chance of making a difference. You need to be here for Théoden's niece."

"Èowyn?" she asked and Elrond nodded.

"She has a part to play in this battle as well. She will need your strength and your confidence. As long as you have each other, you can change the course of the fight for Middle Earth." Marina looked at her shoes in though, then back up at him.

"I don't suppose you can be any more specific?" she asked, though there was a crooked smile on her face. Elrond offered her a rare smile and shook his head.

"You will know what to do when the time is right." He told her. He stood, placed a hand on her head, and went to his pitch black horse. He mounted him and rode to the edge of the High Encampment, down the twisting road and out of sight. Marina sighed, looked in the distance to see Aragorn, about to be joined by the others and sighed at being left behind yet again. But she simply turned and went back into the tent. If she and Èowyn could make a difference in this war, then she wanted to get a good night's sleep.

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_Yay for updating on time! Well, 11:15, but it's still monday for me at least! I'm terrible I know . But I have a test tomorrow which i've been studying for almost non-stop, so be glad I didn't make you wait even longer :P Nah i'm not that mean, lol. Not purposly anyways. At least not for now...you'll hate me for all the cliffies I have set up in later chapters XD_

_Review, please and thank you!_

_Your humble authoress,_

_Whisperwings_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Arianna and Legolas hurried to get the horses saddled as Gimli went off to stall Aragorn. Foolish man thought they'd let him leave without them. They took perhaps a bit longer than usual, kissing proved to be very distracting. Once done, they led their horses to the entrance to the Dimholt road.

"Just where do you think you're off to?" they heard Gimli ask in his gruff voice.

"Not this time." Aragorn said, not bothering to answer. "This time you must stay Gimli."

"Have you learned of the stubbornness of Dwarves?" Legolas asked as he and Arianna walked up.

"Or that of sisters?" Arianna added with a smile.

"Might as well accept it. We're going with you laddie." Gimli finished. Aragorn couldn't help but smile, his defeat both gracious and grateful. They all mounted up, Gimli in his customary place behind Legolas, and started the ride down the Dimholt road. Arianna hated the questions they were leaving behind. Those who were still awake stood to watch them leave, wondering amongst themselves about why they were leaving. But none of them said a word, simply disappearing into the darkness of the mountain path they so feared.

The path they followed was jagged and barren, only a few bushes had dared sink roots in such a place. It didn't become any friendlier as they rode either; even the dawn only enhanced the empty feeling.

"What kind of army would linger in such a place?" Gimli asked. Though both Aragorn and Arianna knew the answer, they let Legolas tell the tale, his melodic voice explaining things in a way neither of them would ever be able to.

"One that is cursed. Long ago the Men of the Mountain swore an oath to the last king of Gondor, to come to his aid, to fight. But when the time came, when Gondor's need was dire, they fled, vanishing into the darkness of the mountain. And so Isildor cursed them, never to rest, until they had fulfilled their pledge." He then started quoting a prophecy or a tale of old. It was one Arianna hadn't heard before, and it was surprisingly accurate. "Who shall call them from the grey twilight? The forgotten people. The heir of him to whom the oath they swore. From the north shall he come. Need shall drive him. He shall pass the door to the Paths of the Dead." His words echoed unpleasantly around the canyon, the meaning reverberating the very earth their horses walked upon.

Knowing the horses were nervous enough to throw them, everyone dismounted, leading the horses along to control their fear. Finally they came to a door, carved roughly from the living stone of the mountain. It was adorned with skulls and the trees around it had long since died.

"The very warmth of my blood seems stole away." Gimli said softly. Legolas stepped forward and read the hieroglyphics on the lintel above the door.

"'The way is shut. It was made by those who are dead. The way is shut.'" Almost as if it were an incantation, the wind picked up as the words died on Legolas's lips. It shrieked from the mountain itself, tearing past them like a solid scream. It was too much for the horses who all reared and turned to flee.

"Brego!" Aragorn called after his horse. Arianna placed a hand on his arm.

"Let them go, we couldn't take them underground in any case." She pointed out. He nodded and turned to face the door with a determined look.

"I do not fear death." He said and went inside. Legolas followed him without hesitation, leaving Gimli and Arianna behind.

"Well this is something unheard of! An elf will go underground when a dwarf dare not! Ah, I'd never hear the end of it." Gimli grumbled and he ran into the darkness. Arianna wanted to chuckle at him, but her own dislike of complete darkness kept her from doing so. She looked at Erynion who hooted nervously on her shoulder. She shooed him away, knowing he'd hate the cave. She looked at the sun one last time, took a deep breath and plunged into the darkness.

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Marina woke to the hustle and bustle of the camp. She sat up and realized Èowyn was already gone. If she'd ever come back…Marina had fallen asleep too soon to know. She realized that everyone was getting ready to move out and she didn't want to hold anyone up. She crawled out of bed, got dressed and slid her new armor over her regular shirt. Finally she piled her light brown hair on her head and donned the horrid helmet, and went to saddle her pony. She was just finishing up when Théoden spoke behind her. She turned and looked up the very long distance to his face, as he sat on his horse and was much taller than usual.

"Little hobbits do not belong in war Miss Marina." He said to her. Her eyes widened a bit.

"All my friends have gone to battle. I would be _ashamed_ to be left behind." She told him.

"It is a three day gallop to Minas Tirith and none of my riders can bear you as a burden." Théoden told her, but to her ears it was a weak excuse.

"But sir, I _want_ to fight!" she said, her eyes begging him to understand. She wasn't a soldier who'd been called to fight, she was here of her own free will.

"I will say no more." The king said and he led his company off. Marina looked at Èomer as he went by. He met her eyes, showing he was disappointed that she had to be left behind. Her speech last night had done some good, maybe she should have said it to Théoden instead though… As it was, she didn't know what to do. She stood there, feeling numb, watching as various riders streamed past her and off to fight. Suddenly someone grabbed the back of her armor, lifting her bodily from the ground and onto the saddle in front of them. Marina tried to sit properly as the rider spoke.

"Ride with me." It was Èowyn, disguised so that she could go and fight as well. Marina smiled.

"So that's why you never went to bed last night, m'lady." She teased. She felt Èowyn chuckle softly.

"I couldn't stand to be left behind, and after what you said to my brother last night, I knew you felt the same.

"I believe I do at that." Marina said with a smile.

As Marina started on the road to battle, Arianna was shivering. The air of the cave was more than damp and dank. It felt like death itself. She kept imagining that fingers were brushing her arms and tugging at her braid. Piles of skulls filled every nook and cranny, and she figured it was easier to simply avoid looking at them. The dead didn't bother her as long as they stayed dead. Legolas was looking around, seeing something she could not. Gimli noticed it as well.

"What do you see?" he asked the elf.

"I see the shapes of men and horses." Legolas said slowly as if he was having trouble discerning the figures only he could see.

"Where?" she asked looking around, squinting as if it could help her to see them as well.

"Pale banners like shreds of cloud. Spears rise like winter tickets through a shroud of mist. The dead are following, they have been summoned." Arianna shivered at his words. His descriptions were too easy to picture and she didn't want to picture anything.

"The Dead? Summoned? I knew that. Very good very good…Legolas!" they heard Gimli shout as he fell behind. Legolas looked at her with a smile at the dwarf's antics, but she was having trouble answering him with a smile of her own. He remembered the way she'd hated the dark of the Mines of Moria and realized she was probably just as frightened as Gimli, only more quietly so. He took her hand comfortingly and led her along the passage. As they walked, mist started to cover the floor, rising until it was above their waists. Arianna didn't like it; the mist wasn't damp like a regular mist. It felt more…solid, more real. She was still feeling the brushing on her arms and hair. Finally she brushed at her own arm to get the goose bumps to go away and saw a ghostly hand there. She gasped and hopped backwards, only to see dozens of hands coming out of the mist.

Legolas came closer to her, taking her hand again and brushing away ghost hands with another. Gimli was unwilling to touch the hands and tried to blow them away with his breath. It worked a few times, but he was going to pass out from lack of air if he didn't stop.

"Don't look down." Aragorn said. With that Gimli stepped on something, making a large cracking sound. Arianna froze herself at the horrible crunching sound underneath her boots.

"You simply had to say that didn't you." She grumbled. Now that her attention had been drawn to the floor, she had to look down to see what she was stepping on. She did so and closed her eyes, wishing she hadn't. The skulls which had previously been stowed in corners out of the way now littered the floor. She took a deep breath and kept walking as calmly as she could, trying to ignore the skulls she was surely breaking as she walked. Legolas was impressed with her ability to hide her fear, though his hand was starting to ache from her clutching it so tightly.

Once the skulls no longer covered the floor, Aragorn started to go faster through the tunnels. Their ghostly welcome had faded as well, and getting out of here was Arianna's first priority. They went faster, almost running, trying to find the city center where the ghosts could be summoned. They found it soon after.

The cavern was gigantic, a city carved from the solid rock on the left, and a cliff dropping to depths they couldn't see on the right. They slowed to a stop, looking around in a combination of awe, fear, and wariness.

"Who enters my domain?" a voice said. It was deep, but it had an unearthly air to it, sounding only partly human. A figure appeared right in front of them at the steps to the carved building. A humanoid shape, but his features faded to show rotten muscles skin and the very bones of his body. At once he was human and dead, a combination Arianna shivered at.

"One who will have your allegiance." Aragorn said confidently, tuning to face the Kingly Ghost.

"The dead do not suffer the living to pass." The King of the Dead said in his creepy voice, sounding like this was a game.

"You will suffer me." Aragorn said angrily. The king laughed, the unearthly part of his voice going deeper than any living voice could go. Behind them, over the deep chasm, a glowing city appeared in thin air, an undead army appearing out of thin air. Only moments later, they were surrounded by the glowing soldiers.

"The way is shut. It was made by those who are dead. The way is shut." The King said, repeating the words from the doorway. "Now you must die." The king himself came forward, looking ready to chop Aragorn's head off. Legolas shot an arrow, but it went straight through his head, not even making him blink.

"I summon you to fulfill your oath." Aragorn said as the King gained speed.

"None but the king of Gondor may command me!" he shouted. Aragorn drew his sword and Arianna do a double take. That wasn't the sword he'd been using for the past years…it was Narcil! Reforged! Elrond had failed to mention that little detail to her when she'd seen him last night. As the King of the Dead swung his sword at Aragorn, he raised his own sword and paried, much to the ghost's surprise.

"That bond was broken!" the Ghost King insisted. Aragorn grabbed his throat, holding the sword to his neck as well.

"It has been remade." He whispered fiercely as he shoved the Ghost King back. "Fight for us, and regain your honor." Aragorn offered. "What say you?" he looked around at the dead soldiers, all of whom simply stared back at him without emotion. "What say you?" he asked again.

"You waste your time Aragorn." Gimli said, surprisingly brave now. "They had no honor in life, they have none now in death."

"I am Isildor's heir." Aragorn went on as if the dwarf hadn't spoken at all. "Fight for me and I will hold your oaths fulfilled. What say you?" he demanded of them once more. The King of the Dead smirked, then started laughing. His human laugh faded as his body did, leaving the frightening deep unnatural voice to hang around, laughing at their attempt. The army faded after him, their glow leaving the cavern feeling darker than it had before.

"You have my word! Fight and I will release you from this living death! What say you?!" Aragorn shouted over the creepy laugh. But soon the ghosts had all faded from sight, leaving them alone in the cavern once again.

"Stand you traitors!" Gimli shouted to the empty cavern. Just then the ground began to shake.

"I think you made them angry, Gimli!" Arianna shouted over the rumbling. A few skulls rolled past their feet, heading towards the cliff where they rolled off into the abyss. Then a great crack resounded through the chamber and the stone building on the left cracked in two, thousands of skulls flowing towards them like a tidal wave.

"Out!" Aragorn shouted. No one needed to be told twice. They dashed across the cavern, heading for the tunnel on the opposite end. The sea of skulls swept past their legs, almost knocking them right over the edge of the cliff. Working together and pulling each other along, they fought their way through the skulls and towards the tunnel, finally reaching it and diving into the relative safety. They dashed through the tunnel emerging through a hidden doorway in the mountainside and back outside. Arianna collapsed to her knees in exhaustion, her nerves practically worn through. Legolas sat beside her holding her close.

Finally, they looked to the river and saw a fleet of black ships, sailing away from a burning city. It was the mercenaries coming to the battle of Minas Tirith, and they were leaving destruction in their wake as they traveled there. Arianna sighed, resting her head on Legolas's shoulder. They'd failed. They hadn't saved anyone from anything. Without the army of the dead, they hadn't done any good. Aragorn felt this despair worse than she did, falling to his knees. Arianna went to him, crawling rather than bothering to stand up, hugging him tightly. As she sat there hugging him, Erynion swooped down at her, colliding happily into her chest and hooting madly. The sight made them all chuckle.

But then, they heard the sound of a horn. Aragorn stood and turned around, looking at the mountain. Had they maybe changed their minds? Arianna hid a gasp as the King of the Dead came right through the wall. He was a ghost, of course he could walk through walls. He faced Aragorn and said something which made Arianna want to shout for joy.

"We fight."

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In Minas Tirith, Pippin was wandering. He was a part of the tower guard, but everything was so chaotic that he hadn't been assigned any particular post. So, he stayed in the courtyard of stone, looking over the armies of Mordor who had come to fight. It was a frightening sight, but one Pippin had expected. Once he grew tired of watching them come closer and closer, he went to the steps of the Great hall and sat there, waiting for something to happen.

A while later, a runner went by, charging into the great hall. Pippin didn't have to wonder what had happened very long, as a stretcher was carried up to the courtyard, bearing the body of Faramir. Denethor came running from the Hall of Kings moments later, running to see his son.

"Faramir? Say not that he has fallen." Denethor said.

"They were outnumbered. None survived." Said Irolas, one of the other men in charge. Pippin, who'd come over, struggled to contain his sadness and lack of surprise. Denethor had sent his men on a suicide mission. As the Steward stumbled away muttering, Pippin came to investigate. He was the healer of the bunch really. Marina was the fighter, Frodo was the thinker, and Sam was the heart, and Pippin had been the one doing all the patching up. He'd taken after an uncle of his in that way, and he'd learned some tricks. None of that was needed to realize that Faramir wasn't "spent" as Denethor kept raving.

"He's alive!" he exclaimed, looking up to see Denethor had wandered off. "He needs medicine my lord!" Pippin called after him. "My Lord!" Pippin heard the shouts of terror from below, and crashing of stone. It seemed the armies of Mordor had started their assault of the city. And Denethor, for the first time, was seeing the vast army he was up against. Rather than realize that he needed to be a good leader for his people though, Denethor did just the opposite.

"Abandon your posts!" he shouted, using the amphitheater like acoustics of the city to make him heard by all. "Flee! Flee for your lives!" Then Gandalf was there, giving the man a good wallop with his staff, something Pippin had wanted to do all day. The man was knocked unconscious immediately, collapsing to the ground and Gandalf decided it was time to take charge.

"Prepare for battle!" he called, his own voice echoing in every corner of the city. Pippin feared that the panic had already taken over though, it would take more than a disembodied voice to rally them once more. Gandalf seemed to have similar thoughts, as he mounted Shadowfax and went down into the city. Then the Captain of the Tower Guard was calling them all together and Pippin had to leave Faramir's side. He was terrified, unwilling to believe he was on his way to fight. He followed his fellow guardsmen down through the city but his shorter legs simply couldn't keep up.

Then, the Nazgûl came. They flew overhead, their screams hurting Pippin's ears. He couldn't cover his ears either, not with the helmet on. He took it off and slapped his hands to his ears, trying to overcome the pain it caused. Once the screams subsided, Pippin went to get his helmet, but it was gone. He started wandering around looking for it, the chaos around him throwing him into a daze. He came across Gandalf a while later.

"Peregrin Took!" the wizard exclaimed in surprise now. Pippin really needed to tell him that he didn't need to say his full name all the time, Pippin was just fine. "Get back to the Citadel, now!"

"But…they called us out to fight." Pippin tried to explain. Then a nearby siege tower reached the outer walls, and orcs cane pouring out of it. Gandalf fought them off, lashing out with both sword and staff as Pippin tried to fight off his fear. Finally, Gandalf turned to him again.

"This is no place for a hobbit." He said in an exasperatedly amused way. Pippin was about to nod in agreement when one last orc came running. He was about to slash at Gandalf and Pippin moved without thinking. He unsheathed his sword and stabbed the orc right in the gut. Gandalf turned to see the orc, frozen as if about to slice him in two. Pippin pulled his sword back and the orc's body fell. Pippin simply stared at his bloody sword, unable to believe what he'd just done. Gandalf smiled at him, looking rather proud.

"Guard of the Citadel indeed. Now back up the hill, quick!" Pippin was feeling rather proud himself and smiled back, feeling confident for the first time in ages. He dashed back up to the Citadel with an idea of what to do. He could work with the healers on Faramir, and maybe bring Denethor back to his senses at the same time. On the way he heard the orcs outside the walls all pick up a fearful cry.

"Grond! Grond! Grond! Grond!" they were shouting over and over. Pippin didn't know what this 'Grond' was, but he didn't really want to stick around to find out.

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Arianna stood with Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli on the shore of the river, watching as the black ships drew closer. The Corsairs of Umbar were not a friendly lot, but their ships were heading where they wanted to go. In a roundabout way, they were hoping for a lift. When they were noticed, the ship slowed though they didn't quite stop.

"You may go no further. You will not enter Gondor." Aragorn called to them. Normally, Arianna would have questioned her twin's sanity with a statement like that, but with an army of the undead on their side, they were all confident that their demands would be met in one way or another.

"Who are you to deny us passage?" a voice called from the front most ship. Rather than answer, Aragorn turned a bit, speaking to them alone.

"Legolas, fire a warning shot past the boson's ear." He instructed. Legolas prepared to fire, drawing an arrow with deliberate slowness and taking aim.

"Mind your aim." Gimli said. He looked at Arianna, one eyebrow raised and she nodded, knowing what he was thinking. Gimli nodded back, and just as Legolas was firing, he nudged the end of his bow just the tiniest bit. Rather than a warning shot, the man standing by the Boson's side got an arrow straight in the chest.

"If that's you missing, then maybe your aim isn't all that great to begin with." She teased the elf, who was glaring at Gimli, who'd given a fake gasp of surprise.

"That's it. We warned you. Prepare to be boarded!" Gimli called to the pirates, who simply started laughing, not caring about their dead sailor.

"Boarded? By you and who's army?"

"Oh, that was the wrong question to ask." Arianna said with a laugh, knowing her merry voice would carry across the water to the pirate's ears. Erynion hooted happily from his seat on her shoulder.

"This army." Aragorn said with a smug smile. And the King of the Dead charged right through him, leading his ghost army to the ships. The laughing soon turned to screams of terror, but Arianna simply found the frightened faces of the pirates amusing. Such horrible people had gone to war with evil on their side, they would perish like everyone else who fought against good.

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Marina sat against a log. It was a nice rest, she wasn't used to riding so hard for such a long period of time. The Riders had stopped by a lake to give the horses a rest. If they wore out their mounts, they would lose their advantage in the upcoming battle. Èowyn was tense though, and pacing. She wanted to move. If she wasn't doing something, Marina guessed she was afraid she'd start having second thoughts.

"Take heart Mari, it will soon be over." The Shieldmaiden said. Marina had a feeling she was saying the words more to comfort herself and decided to help her to encourage the woman.

"My Lady…you are fair and brave and have much to live for. And many who love you." She said. Èowyn turned to her in surprise, looking ready to argue that Mari was blessed with the same traits, but Marina went on. "I know it is too late to turn aside, and I know there's not much point now in hoping." She said softly. "If I was a Shieldmaden of Rohan…but…I'm not. I'm just a hobbit. And I know I can't single handedly save Middle Earth. But even so, I am still holding on to hope, even if it is foolish to do so." She admitted with a crooked smile. She looked off over the glassy lake. "I just want to help my friends. More than anything I wish I could see them again. Frodo, Sam, Pippin…especially Pippin." Her smile was sad and was holding back tears.

What if she never saw them again? What if any of them were hurt? And Pippin…what if she never got the chance to get him into trouble again? What if she never got to steal vegetables from Farmer Maggot with him, or go to the Green Dragon? What if she never got to dance with him again, see his eyes light up again, see him smile again? She didn't think she'd survive it… She looked up to see Èowyn smiling back at her in a soft secret way, as if she knew something Marina didn't. Before she could ask though, the horns sounded and Èomer and Théoden ordered everyone to mount up. They'd be riding through the night in an effort to make it to Minas Tirith in time. Marina stood and she and Èowyn donned their helmets once more.

"To battle." Èowyn said and Marina nodded.

"To battle."

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_I'm horrible I know, i'm so sorry! Stupid midterms...things have been so crazy this week I honestly haven't even thought about this story until today! And of course I managed to remember I needed to update when I was supposed to be studying for my test today, lol. I possibly sacrificed a letter grade to get this out to you, you'd best be grateful!_

_Ok i'm exagerating, lol. But even so, I'd best get back to studying. Please review!!_

_Your Humble Authoress,_

_Whisperwings_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Pippin stood by the wall which surrounded the courtyard in front of the Citadel. He was thankful that he didn't have to fight, but watching wasn't much better. He'd watched as the lower level of the city had been turned to rubble, only the gates remained strong. Pippin was worried though. The 'Grond' thing the orcs had been shouting about turned out to be an enormous battering ram shaped like a wolf. Or a warg, Pippin wasn't entirely sure. The gaping mouth had been lit and now spewed flames, aimed at striking terror at those waiting inside the gate when it shattered. Which Pippin fully expected it to do. Gandalf had ordered the men to the gate, but the orcs waiting to come in would flow over them like an ocean over a pond.

Before Grond broke through the gate though, Pippin was distracted by a clattering behind him. He turned to see Denethor marching soberly along, a procession of men following him, carrying Faramir. Pippin raised an eyebrow. He hadn't been allowed near Faramir, Pippin had assumed the healers were picky about who was around as they did their work. But Faramir should be resting, not carried around. Pippin looked one last time down at the gate and Gandalf, then turned to follow Denethor.

Pippin was surprised when the procession entered the Silent Street, the road to the Mausoleums. Naturally the Kings of Gondor had the more expansive tombs, but here was a section for the Stewards as well; it was there Denethor led the others. Pippin followed the agonizingly slow group, wanting to know what was going on. If whatever Denethor was planning was harmless then Pippin would leave him to it, but if it endangered anyone then he'd need to find Gandalf. No one else would take a hobbit seriously, Tower Guard or not.

Pippin hid outside the door of the mausoleum, watching as Denethor ordered the men around. A few of them left then came back holding wood and pitchers. Already worried, Pippin crept forward to try and figure out what was happening. He saw that a stone platform in the center of the mausoleum had been covered in wood, and that Faramir lay upon it. Pippin gasped. They were going to burn him…while he was still alive!

"The house of his Spirit crumbles." Denethor said softly, touching his son's face. "He is burning. Already burning." Pippin dashed forward in horror.

"He's not dead!" he cried, trying to pull the wood away from the stone platform. "No! No! He's not dead!" Denethor swooped upon him like a vulture, grabbing him by the front of his tunic and dragging him away.

"Hear now, Peregrin, son of Paladin: I release you from my service." The Steward said. He tossed Pippin out the door like a doll, and the hobbit rolled to a stop. "Go now and die in what way seems best for you." Denethor then slammed the doors of the mausoleum shut, and Pippin heard him order for his men to pour oil on the wood. Pippin cursed silently and scrambled to his feet. He needed to find Gandalf, and he had an entire city to search.

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It was almost dawn. The darkness was giving way to a smoky sunrise, and Pippin still hadn't found the White Wizard. He finally heard the man's familiar voice giving orders and followed it to the best of his ability, trying to find the source. Once he did he almost smiled with relief. But the situation was too terrible for a smile.

"Gandalf!" Pippin shouted. The Wizard turned in his direction, searching the crowds for him. Pippin came forward, pushing his way past the others. "Gandalf! Denethor's lost his mind! He's burning Faramir alive!" Gandalf's already stormy face grew darker.

"Come!" he said, grabbing Pippin's arm and pulling him up to ride Shadowfax once again. Pippin sat behind him, whispering over and over for the wizard to hurry. Their progress was halted when they suddenly turned a corner to see a Fell Beast, the Witch-Kind himself astride it. Gandalf held up his staff in defense, unable to continue.

"Go back to the abyss!" Gandalf order the Witch-King. "Fall into the nothingness which awaits you and you master!"

"Do you not know death when you see it old man?" the Witch-King said in a rough voice. He screamed one of those terrible screams and Pippin cried out in pain, unable to cover his ears for fear of falling off the horse. "This is my hour." He said, drawing a sword which caught on fire as he pointed it to the sky. Suddenly Gandalf held up his staff and Pippin realized it was shaking. A moment later, the staff shattered, throwing them both backwards off of the horse.

Pippin scrambled to his feet, drawing his sword in an effort to help Gandalf. He shouted the wizard's name and rushed forward, but then the fell beast roared and Pippin froze, dropping his blade in shocked terror. Shadowfax went forward and reared, flailing hooves holding the Fell Beast at bay for the moment.

"You have failed." The Witch King taunted, Gandalf lay on the ground, indeed looking rather defeated. "The world of Men will fall." Pippin desperately wanted to do something…help Gandalf to his feet, shout angry obscenities at the Witch King, magically make the war go away. But all he could do was stand there, numb.

Then, a sound of many horns blowing drew everyone's attention away. The Witch King looked between the field outside the city and Gandalf, finally taking off to go see what was happening. Pippin finally unfroze and ran towards the wall.

"It's the Riders of Rohan!" he told Gandalf in excitement. "They've come to help!"

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Marina sat in front of Èowyn, looking out at the armies of Mordor. It was a great host indeed, one she hadn't been able to imagine in her head. And now, seeing it frightened her more than she'd thought it would. As she surveyed the enormous number or orcs and trolls with wide eyes she found herself praying that Pippin was alright. Èowyn must have sensed her fear, for she wrapped one arm around Marina in a hug.

"Courage Mari. Courage for our friends." She whispered. Marina reached up and out a hand on Èowyn's arm, squeezing it back in silent agreement. Down below, the orcs were rushing to change positions, protecting their rear against the upcoming charge. Théoden rode down the line of Rohirrim, giving orders to the officers as he went.

"Arise! Arise! Riders of Théoden!" the king shouted. "Spears shall be shaken, shields will be splintered! A sword day! A red day, ere the sun rises!"

"Whatever happens," Èowyn whispered in Marina's ear. "Stay with me. I will look after you." Marina smiled.

"Thank you m'lady." She whispered back. "I plan on doing some damage myself as well, remember." She teased. She felt Èowyn's tiny chuckle and smiled.

"Ride now, ride now, ride!" Théoden was shouting. "Ride for ruin and the world's ending! Death!" The other riders picked up the cry as well, all of them shouting 'death'. It made Marina shiver, but she took her sword and raised it in the air shouting as well.

"Death!" Èowyn joined her moments later. Overall the effect was chilling, and the knowledge that she might die finally settled on Marina's shoulders.

"Forð Eorlingas!" Théoden shouted. The Rohirrim horns sounded the charge and they all began to move out, racing down the hill side towards the waiting orcs. Marina watched as the orc archers took aim and fired, wondering if one of those arrows had her name on it. She shook such thoughts from her head. If she was forever preoccupied with death, then she'd certainly never survive the battle. She had to keep her hope alive, it was what would make this all end well.

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Pippin clutched at Gandalf's robes as they finished the ride to the mausoleums. Shadowfax reared at the door Denethor had locked, kicking it open easily.

"Stay this madness!" Gandalf ordered as they rode into the mausoleum itself. The guards, who'd been approaching the oil soaked wood with torches, stopped and pulled back. Some of them looked confused as to whom they should listen to, but others looked relieved to have such insanity stopped. Denethor however simply grabbed one of the torches and smiled at Gandalf.

"You may triumph on the field of battle for a day, but against the power that has risen in the East, there is no victory." He said. He dropped the torch and the wood caught quickly; Pippin gasped. Gandalf grabbed one of the spears from a guard and charged, knocking Denethor from the pyre. Without thinking, Pippin leapt from the back of Shadowfax and onto the burning pyre, pushing Faramir off. Man and hobbit tumbled to the ground and Pippin hurried to sit up again, slapping Faramir's clothing where he'd caught on fire. However Denethor didn't like that.

"No!" he shouted. "You cannot take my son from me!" Pippin fell backwards, trying to avoid the smoking madman. Shadowfax came to the rescue again; rearing and kicking Denethor right back on to the burning Pyre. Pippin returned to putting out the fires on Faramir and noticed the man's eyes open. He looked directly at his father, who realized for the first time that he was alive.

"Faramir…my son…Ahhh!" he shouted and the fire burned through his heavy oil soaked robes. Soon he was covered in flames, and the pain wasn't helping his sanity. He jumped from the pyre and ran from the mausoleum. Pippin wondered where he was planning on running too; there wasn't much he could do at this point.

"So passes Denethor, son of Ecthelion." Gandalf said softly. "Come along Peregrin Took, this man needs some rest so he can recover." Gandalf said. The guards placed Faramir on the litter once again and carried him back to the citadel where he could get treatment for his wounds. And Pippin was invited to help.

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As Pippin was helping to heal people in the House of Healing and other makeshift hospitals, Marina was slashing at Orcs left and right. The Rohirrim had done their job well. The orcs were fleeing, being driven to the river.

"Make safe the city!" Théoden shouted. Everyone was elated, until they realized that the orcs were fleeing in the direction of a much greater threat.

"Mûmakil" Èowyn whispered in fright.

"Muma-what?" Marina asked in shock, turning to see the large lumbering creatures. "Oh…you mean Oliphaunts…" she said as she realized what they were.

"Different names for the same creature." Èowyn explained. "The Haradrim use them as mounts in war, they cause more damage than all the people riding them put together." Marina realized that strapped to each Oliphaunt's back was a pavilion of sorts where people could ride the large animals. The large sweeping tusks of the Oliphaunts had been wrapped with large spikes, maximizing the damage they could do. Marina gasped in fear, wondering how they could ever defeat such creatures. King Théoden however didn't hesitate.

"Reform the line!" he ordered them. "Reform the line!" Everyone hurried to obey, lining up facing the oncoming creatures. "Sound the charge!" he ordered once everyone was in place. Gamling obeyed, blowing his horn in the pattern which signaled the charge, and Théoden shouted to them all, leading the line towards this new battle.

Suddenly, much sooner than Marina had hoped, they were no longer charging but were riding between the legs of the Oliphaunts. Èowyn steered their horse expertly and Marina watched the others to see what they were doing to bring down the large creatures. Gamling shot arrows at the belly of one beast, Èomer threw his spear into the chest of the man directing another. The driver fell to the side, the reins in the Oliphaunt's ear making the beast turn and stumble into another. Then Èowyn shouted in her ear.

"Take the reins!" she said. Marina did so, thankful for the practice she'd gotten on her pony. "Pull it left. Left!" Èowyn cried and Marina did so, steering the horse directly between the legs of another Oliphaunt. Èowyn, her hands now free, took her own sword and Marina's and sliced at the legs of the beast. As they rode out from under it, it collapsed. Vital tendons had been slashed; it could no longer hold itself up.

"Aim for the heads!" Marina then heard Èomer call to the others. The Oliphaunt he was firing at reared in an effort to protect its eyes, the movement causing its passengers to fall from its back to the ground. Èowyn grabbed a spear from a fallen orc as Marina led the horse to the Oliphaunt the others were working to bring down.

"Bring it down! Bring it down! Bring it down!" Théoden was shouting. Èowyn threw her spear where it lodged itself in the beast's leg. It roared in pain then started falling, right towards them. Marina jerked the reins to the left in an effort to not be crushed.

For a moment, Marina felt like she'd been flattened, she couldn't breathe. Distantly she thought she heard Èowyn calling her name and she groaned. Finally, she was able to pull air into her starving lungs. She hadn't been crushed, but the wind had been knocked out of her. She opened eyes and wiped dust from her face, seeing the thick skin of an Oliphaunt only centimeters from her face. She gasped at how close she'd been to actually having been flattened. She rolled over, crawling out from under the beast and coughing dust from her throat.

She saw Èowyn fighting a short distance away with whatever orcs came within reach of her sword. Marina saw a number of the Oliphaunt riders converging on her own position and decided it would be a good idea to follow the woman's example. She slashed directly across the belly of the first who came by and stabbed the second. She continued in this fashion until one of them lifted her right of the ground. She gasped for air just before his very large hands wrapped around her neck, and made herself lift her sword. She slashed it right across his throat and he dropped her as he fell to the ground. She coughed again, massaging her sore neck, and went back to killing off the Haradrim.

Once she got a breather, Marina leaned against the dead Oliphaunt and allowed herself a rest. Èowyn was fighting an extremely ugly orc only a short way away and Marina started to head towards her to help. Until a giant Oliphaunt foot stepped right in front of her. Rather than step back as instinct told her to, Marina leapt forwards, grabbing onto the cloth wrappings holding spikes around the beast's ankle.

Slowly, bit by bit, Marina climbed up the side of the Oliphaunt's leg, using the arrows which were stuck fast in its thick hide. She reached the beast's back unnoticed and knelt beside the basket like carrier on its back. The people inside were falling to the arrows of those on the ground, and Marina worried one of them might hit her. She looked down to see Èomer, his horse-tailed helmet made him visible from even up here. He saw her and shouted for the others to watch out for her and she gave him a salute as she slipped into the basket.

Once most of them were dead, Marina slipped among the Haradrim unnoticed. She slit throats and pushed those who leaned over the edge to their deaths. She was amazed it took the others so long to realize what was going on. Finally they did so and came at her like a storm, but being quick as she was, she was easily able to outmaneuver them and they were soon gone. Marina was thankful she'd gotten an Oliphaunt which had already lost most of its men to the archers below.

Quickly, Marina made her way to the driver's seat. The dead driver still sat there, and she pulled the reins from his limp fingers, pushing him aside to fall to the ground. She braced herself on the platform, unsure of how to do this. She assumed it was much like steering a horse…she jerked the left rein and the beast went to the left, and the right made it go right. Grinning triumphantly, Marina steered the Oliphaunt about, aiming for the crowds of Haradrim who now fought on the ground. Finally she steered her beast straight at another, forcing the other driver to turn out of the way and right into a third Oliphaunt. Marina laughed merrily as they both fell to the ground, turning to do a similar maneuver again. This time, the other driver wasn't able to turn his Oliphaunt until it was too late. Marina's beast plowed right over his, both of them would be out of commission now. Marina climbed down from the driver's platform and made her way to the ground, slashing the harnesses which kept the pavilions on the backs of the Oliphaunts. Even if they could get the creatures back on their feet, they wouldn't do any good.

As she made her way back to find Èowyn she heard cheers of those she passed, and Èomer gave her a smile. Marina couldn't help but smile herself. She'd shown Èomer. She had made a difference.

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Back inside the walls of Minas Tirith, Pippin sat with Gandalf behind the gate to the second level of the city. The people who weren't fighting had been hurried to the level just below the citadel, where'd they'd be in the least amount of danger. Until the armies of Mordor broke through the gates through all the city levels…Pippin suspected it was only a matter of time.

Tears ran down his face as he thought of the lives lost and the destruction he'd witnessed. He'd never wanted to see such things, and here he sat right in the middle of it. In his strangest dreams, he'd assumed that if he was ever to have any part in any battle…then his friends would be beside him. Frodo and Sam…and Marina. Dear Marina…he was going to die and he'd never told her that he loved her.

Not that he'd known of course. They'd been friends for as long as they could remember. They'd grown up side by side, having their own adventures of visiting the Green Dragon in the Westfarthing…snow ball fights on the day of the first snowfall…setting off fireworks at Bilbo's birthday party. Each event of their childhood, while once a happy memory, had all fallen into the shadowed recesses of their minds in recent months. Neither of them could have imagined an adventure like this before…an adventure in a world much too big for them.

It had come to him only a short time ago, as Gandalf ordered for their forces to fall back to the second level, that his feelings for Marina were more than friendship. He'd always known it was more than a simple friendship really…but love had never crossed his mind. Until Gandalf signaled the retreat and he realized he might die today. All he was able to think about was Marina…remembering her laughing at him for his disaster of a raft, the mischief in her eyes as she suggested a new prank, her lovely smile as they danced together. And that was when he realized it. He was head over heels in love with his best friend. And honestly, he wouldn't have it any other way.

Pippin's one regret now, as he sat here waiting for the coming battle, was that he might never be able to tell her so. Even if she didn't feel the same way…he wanted, no _needed_ her to know. If he couldn't tell her, he felt like his heart may just burst forth from his chest. He had to settle for the next best thing. Telling someone else. He looked up at Gandalf sadly.

"Do you regret anything Gandalf?" he asked the wizard. "Will you regret anything when you die?" Gandalf sighed.

"I shall regret not seeing that Bilbo had the Ring. Right under my nose, for so many years. I could have done something, should have done something. But I failed to see it, and now look." He gestured to the world around him. "The world of men is crumbling away." He had an odd little smile on his face. "Though I am hoping that will change soon." Pippin tilted his head in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh nothing." Gandalf said. He looked down at Pippin fondly. "And you Peregrin Took? Will you regret anything?" Pippin smiled a sad smiled, glad to get it off his chest.

"Not telling someone how much I love them." He said simply.

"Ah yes, the lovely Marina Brandybuck I assume?"

"How did you know?" Pippin asked in shock and Gandalf chuckled.

"I have known of your feelings for her for a very long time, young hobbit. I've simply been waiting for you to realize them yourself." Another tear fell down Pippin's face. If only he'd realized sooner himself…

"I didn't think it would end this way." He admitted, listening to the constant pounding at the gate.

"End? No the journey does not end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take." Gandalf looked away and into the distance. His eyes grew soft as if he saw something Pippin could not. "The grey rain curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass. And then you see it."

"What Gandalf?" Pippin asked when the wizard took too long to continue. "See what?"

"White shores. And beyond, the far green country, under a swift sunrise." Pippin smiled himself, thinking of the poetry in Gandalf's words. Marina would love it, he knew.

"Well, that isn't so bad." He said, trying to be optimistic.

"No. No, it isn't." The pounding grew louder as they heard the gate begin to give. Gandalf looked down at the hobbit and nodded, showing it was time. Pippin gripped his own sword and squeezed his eyes shut. If he didn't make it though the day, he'd sit on that white shore and wait for Marina to join him, even if he had to wait a century. He would never stop waiting.

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Arianna sat with Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn on the deck of the ship. The ghost army had easily wiped out every last pirate of the fleet, and they led the boats down the river. The four had spent their day piling the bodies in neat stacks under the decks of the ships. Once they landed, they planned on burning the floating pieces of garbage where they sat. The filth would make its way to the sea, being washed away.

The King of the Dead stayed near them, peeking through the railing of the ship by sticking his head right through it. He'd spent his time with them as they traveled through the night. He'd sat with whoever was keeping watch at the time, helping them to stay awake. During her watch, Arianna had been nervous about talking with the Ghost King one on one. But he'd proven to have a wonderfully wicked sense of humor and plenty of entertaining stories to tell as they floated under the stars. Oddly enough Erynion loved him and kept trying to land on the incorporeal man. Finally the King announced that they'd reached Osgiliath.

"Though it's a lot more run down that I recall."

"Well it has been a very long time since you've seen it." Arianna pointed out drably.

"And Minas Anor is the chief city now you say?"

"Well, yes, but it's Minas Tirith now." Arianna explained. "Minas Anor means Tower of the Sun, while its sister city, Minas Ithil means Tower of the Moon. The Nazgûl captured Minas Ithil for their own, and renamed it Minas Morgul, the Tower of Black Sorcery. After that, Minas Anor was renamed Minas Tirith, which means the Tower of Guard." The Ghost King shook his head sadly.

"So much has changed." He turned to Aragorn. "When you are crowned King, as I assume you will be, you must be sure to return Gondor to its former glory. I will not stand to have it remain a land built on the ruins of memories." Aragorn smiled.

"You have my word that I have every intention of doing just that." He promised. The King nodded, satisfied, and stuck his head through the railing again.

"We're here." He said and Arianna smiled, ready to fight. Too many of her friends had already been fighting this battle for too long, she was ready to cause some damage of her own. She felt the ships slow to a stop at the docks of Osgiliath.

"Late as usual! Pirate scum." They heard a voice shout from below. "There's work that needs doing! Come on ya sea rats! Get off your ships!" Arianna saw Aragorn stand and jump over the railing of the ship and followed suit. Gimli landed on one side of her and Legolas on the other. Arianna grinned wickedly at the waiting orcs as she drew her sword.

The orc in charge seemed to have a tiny skull strapped to his hat, and she had every intention of cleaving it in two, his own skull to be spilt directly afterwards.

"I claim Skully." She told the other two. Gimli chuckled.

"There are plenty for all of us. May the best dwarf win!" he said as they all dashed forwards. Arianna ran forwards, aiming for the orc with the skull as she went. He laughed and lifted his scythe, believing four opponents to be a slaughter. She laughed as fear appeared on his face and the faces of those around him. It seemed the Ghost King and his troops had made their appearance. She ran and leapt, slicing her sword right through Skully's skulls. Both the one on his head and the one within it. It was a perfect start to what promised to be a good fight.

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_Yay! I managed to post on monday! Woohoo!! Well, aside from the chapter I do have a few things to say._

_First of all, many of my readers may be used to getting responces to their reviews. I'm ashamed to say that I've been so busy lately that I haven't been able to answer them all. So from now on, I will answer only those reviews with substance. if you review and say it was a great chapter and that you can't wait for an update, I regret to say that I won't take the time to answer :( Don't get me wrong, I appreciate every single review I get! Even if you don't really say anything, just cuz it lets me know that you read and enjoyed the chapter. However if you give more specific comments i'll be much more likely to answer._

_Secondly, I have now written two one-shots! I normally stink at one-shots, so I would love to get some opinions. So if any of you like Peter Pan and the movie A Knight's Tale, please go take a look, I need some serious feedback, lol._

_Thanks so much for all of your reviews, and I'd love to get more!_

_Your Humble Authoress,_

_Whisperwings_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Marina ran as quickly as she could towards Èowyn. She'd been forced to watch from a distance as the Witchking's fell beast grabbed King Théoden's horse and fling it aside like a toy. Marina had no doubt that Èowyn would be there to protect her uncle. And Marina was going to help.

It was an agonizing process getting there though. Orcs and Haradrim still filled the field of battle, and she had to cut her way to her friend. It was time consuming, but it was helping to lessen the enemy's numbers. She just wished it wouldn't taking so long. Èowyn had decapitated the fell beast easily, but she would need help fighting the Witchking who'd been riding it. Marina gasped as she saw the Witchking fling his ridiculously large mace at Èowyn, shattering her shield and possibly the arm underneath it.

Marina finally broke free of the crowds and dashed towards them. The Witchking reached down and grabbed Èowyn by the throat, lifting her into the air.

"You fool!" The Witchking said in a deep hissing voice. "No man can slay the King of the Nazgûl! Die now!" Before he could tighten his grip on Èowyn's neck, Marina was there. She grabbed the dagger she'd been given by Galadriel and drove it into the back of the Witchking's knee. He cried out in pain, falling to his knees. Marina screamed in pain as well. Some evil had sunk into her arm right through the dagger, and it was almost more than she could bear. She fell to the ground, clutching her arm to her chest in an effort to subdue the pain. But it would not end. She saw Èowyn stand and take off her helmet and strived to pay attention.

"I am no man." The Shieldmaiden said proudly. She then stabbed the Witchking with her sword, right into the gaping darkness which sat within his helmet. The sword stuck there, then was spat out. The King of the Nazgûl writhed in pain as air whistled from the space under the helmet, pulling the crown like helm in upon itself as it did so. Finally, he crumbled into a heap and lay still. The Witchking was dead.

Slowly, Marina she got used to the pain in her arm, at least enough so that she was able to come out of the fetal position she'd taken. She sat up and saw Èowyn hovering over King Théoden. Even from here Marina could tell he was dying.

Marina felt tears come to her eyes. The King had seemed invincible in her eyes for so long…if he died, what would become of her? Almost as if in answer, someone grabbed her cloak and pulled. The clasp ripped the fabric and Marina fell to the ground. Whoever it was grabbed her once again and lifted her right off the ground, tossing her cloak to the side and carrying her off. Marina struggled, but the only thing she managed to do was see that her captor was an orc.

"Let me go!" she screeched angrily. "I will not be captive of an orc again, I refuse!" with those words, she twisted. The dagger still clutched in her hand sliced past her own leg, nicking the skin, but continued on to sink deep into the orc's side. He yelped in surprise as much as pain and dropped her right down. Once again, Marina had to fight to pull air into her lungs, but she forced herself to swing her sword around with her left hand, cutting his leg off at the knee. Unfortunately, he topped right onto her, and she was unable to push him off.

Finally, the tingling numbness of her arm traveled further into her chest and down her legs. As her vision started to fade she felt a single tear fall. She was supposed to rescue Pippin. How would she ever be able to do so if she was lying on a field somewhere? And with that question, the darkness swallowed her whole.

* * *

Arianna ran through the fields, following her twin along with the others. Though the ghost army would surely do the job they'd been given, the four of them could still contribute. Legolas singlehandedly brought down an Oliphaunt as the others fought on the ground. As he slid right down the trunk of the fallen creature she smiled and Gimli huffed in annoyance.

"That still only counts as one!" he told the elf who only looked smug in his quiet way.

Arianna was on her way to his side when a trio of orcs entered her path. She smiled at them smugly, until something hit the back of her head. She groaned in pain as she toppled forward. The sneaky blighters! She rolled and blocked a sword swinging down at her face. She continued rolling and blocking, unable to get a chance to get to her feet. Erynion angrily dived at the heads of the orc, aiming for their eyes, but it wasn't enough.

Then, Legolas was there, taking them out by one. Arianna had the pleasure of killing the last one, the one who'd bashed her on the head, by slicing both legs right out from under him. Legolas reached a hand down to her, the smug smile still on his face. She glared at him as he pulled her to her feet. Once there, her head spun and she had to brace her hand on the dead Oliphaunt beside her. Before she could do anything, Legolas pushed her up against the creature, kissing her deeply. Arianna automatically sighed in pleasure, allowing her hands to pull his head closer to her own. But finally she pushed him away.

"You shouldn't do that when I'm already dizzy." She told him as she bent to retrieve her dropped sword. "It only makes it worse." She teased. Legolas simply gently grabbed her chin and kissed her softly once again.

"Who said I was trying to make it better?" he asked, then he dashed off into the fight once more. Arianna smiled. He'd been worried for her, how sweet! As she hopped back into the fray as well she marveled at herself. She and Legolas could be killing orcs one moment, kissing the next, and be back to fighting as if nothing had happened.

She'd found the perfect man…someone who appreciated her skills in battle, but wouldn't let that get in the way of his love for her. She smiled as she thought her romantic thoughts and sliced the heads of her enemies. They certainly were an interesting couple.

* * *

Pippin was fighting for his life. He, Gandalf, and the soldiers who remained were fighting the swarm of orcs pouring in the gate. Pippin's arms ached; he felt this river of orcs would never end. Just as he was ready to collapse though, a swarm of glowing green beings swept passed the group. As suddenly as they'd appeared, they were gone. The men stood bewildered, looking at the dead orcs which now surrounded them.

"What was that?" Pippin asked when he found his voice again. Gandalf was smiling.

"The end of the battle." He said simply. "Come Peregrin Took." He said and he swept out the gate. Pippin hurried to follow, his curiosity giving him energy.

By the time he and the Wizard made it out of the city, the battle was over. Not a single orc remained alive, the Oliphaunts lay scattered. And not too far from the gate, Pippin recognized the silhouettes of Aragorn, Arianna, Legolas and Gimli. He smiled as they reached them, but the smile faded to awe. The glowing green beings he'd seen before now stood in front of Aragorn. And now that they were holding still, Pippin was able to see that they were people! Or…they were once people. Now they seemed to be half dead and half alive. The fact that they were glowing green was odd enough in itself.

"Release us." The ghost with the crown said in a rough voice.

"Bad idea." Pippin heard Gimli mutter. "Very handy in a tight spot, these lads. Despite the fact that they're dead." Arianna, holding Legolas's hand, glared at him.

"You gave us your word!" the King reminded Aragorn who nodded graciously.

"I hold your oath fulfilled." He said. "Go."

"Be at peace." Arianna told them. The king smiled at her, then closed his eyes in happiness. The wind blew across the plains, and the ghost army slowly turned to dust, disappearing in the breeze. Aragorn turned to see Gandalf there. The wizard bowed to the new King of Gondor, but Pippin had other things on his mind and walked away.

"Where is young Marina?" Gandalf asked the others as Pippin wandered off. "Did she not come with you?" Legolas shook his head.

"She did not come with us on the paths of the dead." Arianna shook her head as well.

"She's probably still back in Rohan." Èomer, who'd come to watch the Ghost army leave, stepped forward.

"No, she came." He told them. "And she fought valiantly. I was wrong to assume she'd fail." He told them. "She single handedly took out four of the Mûmakil." Arianna smiled in pride and nudged Legolas.

"And you only took out one." She teased.

Pippin wandered the fields, not sure why. He didn't have any loved ones in the battle, he had no friends or family there. His friends were all elsewhere, Frodo and Sam on their way to the heart of Mordor, Marina back in Rohan. But he found himself unable to look away from the destruction of the battle. It saddened him even as it made him proud. So many good men had laid down their lives to fight evil, Pippin was proud to be counted as one of those they'd fought with. He simply wished the battle hadn't taken so many lives.

Pippin blinked. Was that…? He hurried forward, picking up a pile of familiar green fabric. The leaf shaped clasp confirmed it. This was one of the cloaks that the group had been given in Lothlórian. That meant only one thing. "Mari…" she was here! She'd fought in the battle! Pippin stood and looked around. He had to find her! He would find her, even if he had to search all night.

* * *

Arianna gripped Legolas's hand as she surveyed the fields in front of the city. Bodies were everywhere. The still silence was only broken when someone found a friend among the fallen warriors. A shout louder than the rest made her turn. It was Èomer. He ran forward, tossing his helmet aside, and knelt to the ground. Arianna realized it was Èowyn. Èomer lifted his sister from the ground, holding her close in sadness. Arianna looked at Legolas who nodded and let go of her hand. She gave him a grateful smile and ran forward to Èomer. As she knelt beside him she realized Èowyn was breathing, but only very shallowly.

"You need to get her to the House of Healing." She told him. "She may still have a chance." Èomer nodded solemnly and stood, lifting Èowyn with ease. Arianna watched as he walked away, then looked around her once more. Legolas was by her side again and she gratefully turned to bury her face in his neck. He wrapped his arms around her back, allowing her to lower her boundaries for a short time. War was always terrible, but when it was over and the adrenaline rush had left her body…that was always the worst part of a battle.

Not ready to leave Legolas's embrace, Arianna simply tuned her head to watch the others around them. Those who were alive were being carried to the hospitals which had surely been set up in Minas Tirith by now. Thankfully most of the armies were still on their feet, but a good amount would need medical attention. This was one of those battles where there wouldn't be much merry making directly afterward. There was too much sorrow; it still filled the air as if it was a solid thing. It made the whole world feel as if it was going in slow motion. Like everything was underwater. Arianna sighed and pulled back, her hands in Legolas's.

"We should go in and help." She said regretfully. "There's much work which needs to be done." Legolas lifted her chin to make her look into his eyes and smiled softly.

"Just remember Firefly, the night is always the darkest before the dawn." Arianna smiled, both at the nickname and the kind words. They shared a gentle kiss and made their way into the city to do what they could to help.

Later that night, Legolas was working alongside Gimli and Aragorn to help get the city in order once again. Many homes had been destroyed, and calm organization was needed to make sure everyone had a place to spend the night. Aragorn was killing two birds with one stone. He was helping everyone, but at the same time he was being seen by the people he would soon be ruling over.

Arianna, being a woman, had been conscripted to help in the House of Healing. She felt terrible at that, she knew only the basics of healing. Minus a few magical mixtures and methods she'd learned from the elves. The actual Healers soon discovered her own ineptness for themselves, and they shook their heads in disappointment. Instead, she was assigned the simple job of heavy lifting. She'd help to move people around on stretchers, lift boxes of herbs and bowls of potions. She'd hold people as the healers were forced to sew up cuts and amputate limbs. She didn't even have Erynion to keep her company, he'd taken off the moment she'd stepped into the chaotic hospital.

Arianna had to allow herself many breaks. It was horrible, to have a weakness such as this. She could kill people without a thought, but she couldn't stand to see people in pain. She'd held bowls for others vomiting, wrapped wounds covered in half congealed blood and pus, she'd held people's arms as arrows were pulled out of their eye sockets… such things swirled around and around in her mind, making her sick to her own stomach. More than once she could be found in a courtyard's corner, retching up what little food she'd been able to eat over the past few days.

After a few hours of working, Arianna came across Èomer sitting beside his sister's cot. She knelt on Èowyn's other side and gave Èomer a small smile. He looked so worried, so frightened. He looked like the little boy he must have been when their parents had died. Èowyn was all he had in the world…if he lost her, Arianna wasn't sure what he'd do in his grief. Arianna felt the girl's faint pulse and carefully ran a finger across her left arm. Dark bruises crisscrossed it. The bones underneath were very weak, though not broken. But that was no reason for her to not wake up…

Arianna felt her cold forehead. She was clammy, sweating despite how cold she was. Her breathing was steady but very shallow. Suddenly, Arianna knew what had happened. And this was something she could help with. She stood and gave Èomer and confident smile.

"I'll be right back." She said before dashing off. She made her way to the store rooms where the herbs were kept. She searched the shelves before finally finding what she was looking for. "Athelas." She murmured in triumph. She made her way back to Èowyn's side. She stopped an orderly on the way and requested that a bowl filled with hot water be brought to her. The orderly nodded and dashed off and Arianna knelt at Èowyn's side once again. As she used her elvish knife to cut the plant into tiny pieces, she explained to Èomer what she was doing.

"Athelas is a healing herb which was brought across the sea when men first came to Middle Earth. It is highly powerful, but few know of its qualities." She inspected the herb closely. "I suppose that's why these are so old and brittle… In any case, Athelas used to be well known for its effects on the Black Breath."

"The Black Breath?"

"Yes. The breath of the Nazgûl. It's poisonous." She gave the orderly a thankful smile as she delivered the bowl of steaming water and dropped the crushed herbs into it, stirring it with the blade of her knife. "It can place a great feeling of despair into its victims, but can also cause nightmares and unconsciousness. Even death."

"But…Èowyn, she won't-"

"She won't die, don't worry. Like I said, Athelas is very strong against it." She dipped a clean rag into it and wiped it across Èowyn's forehead. She then scooped up some of the tea she'd made into a small mug and held it to the woman's lips. Slowly, she drank the tea in her sleep. Only once it was all gone, Arianna set it down and used the herb soaked rag to clean the dirt from Èowyn's face.

It didn't take long for things to change. Èowyn's shallow breaths slowly turned into deeper ones, pulling oxygen into the lungs which would help her to fully awaken. Finally, her eyes fluttered open. Èomer was so relieved he pulled her into a hug. Arianna chuckled and convinced him to let go.

"She still needs bandaging up, and you're still wearing your armor. You go change and get some rest, I'll take good care of her." She shooed him from the room before he could protest and came back to Èowyn, chuckling. She grabbed some bandages, helped the girl to sit up, and started wrapping her arm.

"What happened?" Èowyn asked her.

"You were infected by the Black Breath. From what I hear you single handedly killed the Witchking."

"No…Mari was there."

"That doesn't surprise me all that much. But the saying was true. It wasn't a man who killed him. You would have made your parents proud." Èowyn gave her a smile and Arianna helped her to stand. "Come now, we have a room for you. You could probably use a good night's sleep in a real bed. Let's get you out of this armor while we have some help." Working with the help of a few orderlies, they managed to get Èowyn's armor off without hurting the already sore woman. She was given a lovely gown of white and Arianna wound her arm though Èowyn's good one, leading her to her room. As they walked, Arianna noticed a number of men watching the beautiful blond. As they reached her room, Èowyn spoke again.

"Arianna…is Aragorn alright?" Arianna sighed.

"He's just fine." She hesitated, then plunged into the question she'd been wanting to ask. "He did talk to you, didn't he?" Èowyn blushed and looked down.

"He did."

"Good. I didn't like the way he was leading your heart astray."

"He has someone else doesn't he?" Èowyn asked as she sat down on her bed.

"Yes. Arwen, the daughter of Lord Elrond. My adopted sister as a matter of fact." Arianna said plainly. There was no point in trying to soften the blow. "They were made for each other really. You didn't deserve the way he was treating you."

"What do you mean?"

"Aragorn was under the impression Arwen was going to be leaving Middle Earth with her kin. I could have told him that she'd never leave. Not when her heart is still in his hands. The moment he found out that she was still here, he knew he could never be yours. Not the way you deserve." Èowyn looked down, realizing what Arianna was telling her in her roundabout way. Aragorn had considered her second place. She'd been a back-up. A suitable replacement. Arianna hated to think of her own brother in such a way. Perhaps in time he could have grown to love Èowyn, but never as much as he loved Arwen. Arianna sat down on the bed and looked Èowyn in the eye.

"You deserve a man that will be entirely yours. A man who wants to love and protect you with everything he has." Arianna gave her a smile. "And you'll find him." Èowyn had to smile back.

"Like you did?" It was Arianna's turn to feel her cheeks warm, but she couldn't keep the grin from her face.

"Surprisingly…yes. I used to think there was no one who could love me for who I was. No man would want a woman who could beat him in a fight, I was convinced. But…Legolas proved me wrong. And for once I don't mind admitting it." The two of them giggled and smiled fondly at each other. "Don't worry Èowyn. You'll find a love of your own. And…maybe sooner than you think. But for now, get some rest. You have some healing up to do." Arianna took her leave, waving as she left the room and closing the door behind her.

She grimaced as she made her way back to the house of healing and massaged her already churning stomach. It was time to get back to work.

* * *

Pippin's feet were killing him. He'd been on them for so long now, he didn't remember what it was like to lay down or sit still anymore. But he couldn't stop, not yet. He still hadn't found Marina. He'd been searching for hours, and the sun had recently set. The Fields of Pelennor were enormous, and Pippin couldn't be sure he wasn't just searching the same area over and over. The sea of bodies was all beginning to look the same. He stopped and turned, searching for anything which could lead to his best friend.

He froze for a moment. To his left was a fallen Oliphaunt and an orc. But sticking out from under the orc…was a pair of hairy feet!

"Mari!" Pippin rushed over, using all his strength to push the orc over. Under it was Marina, laying on her side and shivering weakly in the night air. Pippin rolled her over onto her back and cradled her torso in his arms. "Mari, it's me. It's Pippin." He felt tears spill over as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Pip…" she muttered, so soft Pippin could barely hear her. She smiled at him even as her eyes fluttered open. "I knew you'd find me." she said in a slow, halting voice.

"Yes, yes I did." He watched as her lower lip trembled and a tear fell down her filthy cheek, leaving a single clean line.

"Are you going to leave me?" she asked. Pippin smiled down at her, trying to show her he was there. She sounded so frightened…he couldn't stand it.

"No Mari. I'm going to look after you." He told her. He reached over and grabbed the cloak he'd been carrying and draped it over her shivering body.

"Promise?"

Pippin smiled softly again and wiped the tear from her cheek.

"Promise."

* * *

_I'm starting to wonder if maybe I should just plan to update this story every Thursday...I'm on my laptop and bored in class anyways, i'd probably be more likely to remember to do so, lol._

_Well, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, I had fun writing it. Please review!!_

_Your Humble Authoress,_

_Whisperwings_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Arianna was taking one of her "breaks". Mostly, it was vomiting water in her corner of an abandoned courtyard. When she was finally done, she sat down on a stone bench and buried her face in her hands. She felt someone pull her hair back. Her braid was coming completely undone. Fly-a-ways were plastered to her clammy skin. She shivered a bit and turned her head to see Legolas and sighed.

"What are you doing here?" she croaked.

"Looking for you."

"Well congratulations, you found me." her sharp tone held no real hostility. Legolas knew she was tired, and being unwell never helped anyone's temper. He was right, and he noticed she was struggling to keep from dissolving into tears. He sighed sadly and took her into his arms, allowing her to bury her face in his neck. He rested his cheek on her hair and softly rubbed her back.

"It's alright." He whispered to her. She shook her head and spoke, her voice muffled by his shirt.

"No it's not. Look at me. I'm a fighter. My life involves killing for a living. And I can't even do something like this." She sighed and turned her head a bit so he could hear her more clearly. "I always felt that after taking so many lives, I should try and help others to keep them. Maybe to…keep the scale balanced. I'm so good at hurting things, just…not at helping." Legolas smiled a bit.

"You simply need to help in other ways." He told her. "Do you feel guilty about killing those who fight for Sauron?"

"No."

"Exactly. So the scale remains balanced. You can still help people, simply…not in the healer's ward." He suggested, the smile evident on his voice. Arianna gave a weak chuckle.

"True enough." She admitted.

"You're all right then?" she sighed but nodded.

"Good…let's find something for you to do. I would suggest getting some food-" he stopped at her glare and chuckled. "I know I know. But sleeping in a bed will do wonders." He took her hand and led her back through the House of Healing, but before they could exit, someone else came in.

"Pippin!" Arianna exclaimed. Pippin was leading someone along and Arianna looked to see who. It was a rider from Rohan, and he was carrying "Marina!"

"Arianna! Please, she's cold…and she won't wake up." Pippin told her, his eyes pleading. Legolas was already taking Marina out of the other man's arms and Arianna led them to a nearby cot. Arianna inspected Marina's body, coming to the same conclusion she had with Èowyn.

"The Black Breath." She left Legolas to explain what it was to Pippin as she got more Athelas from the stores and made another tea. It worked in much the same way, a Marina woke up a few minutes later. She looked around in fear, wondering where she was.

Pippin's face entered her view and she turned to look at him. She was afraid that if he left her sight he might disappear. He smiled down at her and thanked someone on her other side. She made herself look to her left, and she saw Arianna and Legolas. She looked back at Pippin and smiled softly. And then, knowing she was safe and surrounded by her friends, she fell asleep again.

Arianna hushed Pippin with a smile as he panicked. "Don't worry." She told him. "She must be exhausted. She needs her sleep. Let's find you both a room to stay." Pippin looked dead on his feet himself. Legolas picked up Marina once again and they went off to find themselves beds. Everyone could use a good night's sleep.

* * *

Marina groaned and rolled over. As she did so, she realized that she was comfortable. For the first time in weeks, she was sleeping in a real bed. She slowly opened her eyes to see a stone ceiling. She looked down at herself. She was…filthy. The clean sheets she'd slept in were now filthy as well. A heavy blanket of dark blue lay on top of the sheets. She'd been grateful for it as she slept, the night had been chilly.

She sat up and looked around. The floor and walls were also stone, but carpets littered the floor in an attempt to warm up the room. In the wall in front of her was a door and behind her was a series of windows, all open archways. For a moment she almost panicked, unsure of where she was. But she looked to her left and saw something which made her fears all go away.

Pippin.

He was as much of a mess as she was, his pillow smudged with dirt that had been on his face. He was hugging it tightly, as if he couldn't bear to let it go. Marina felt herself smile and she lay back in bed. But though she lay there for ages, she couldn't fall back asleep. She felt like she'd slept for days already, she was fully rested.

The female hobbit sat up once again and stretched. That hurt though. Her right arm still tingled painfully. She held back a gasp and hugged her arm close to her chest.

"Let's take this slowly." She said to herself in a whisper. She slipped out onto the floor, feeling her legs tremble a bit. That settled it; she must have been sleeping for ages if her legs were unused to supporting her weight. She made her way to the door and slipped out, closing it silently behind her.

She'd already been walking for a while when she realized she was completely lost. The halls she traveled were a mix of white and black marble, and all looked the same. She couldn't find her way back to the room anymore. She shrugged and continued on, searching for some sign of life. There had to be someone around, this was the city of Minas Tirith after all. Finally she reached a courtyard with gravel paths and potted plants. Marina instinctively knew this was the closest she'd get to nature while she was in this city of stone, and she decided to stay put. She went to the far edge which overlooked the steep slope of the city and over the fields of Pelennor.

It was a dreadful sight. The fields were dotted with funeral pyres burning the dead, their smoke filling the already hazy air before the city. The city itself was a mess. Buildings had been crushed and rubble littered the streets. Still…the city seemed devoid of all life. Suddenly Marina felt like a ghost, a lonely inhabitant of an empty city. She sank down onto a nearby stone bench and sighed. Where on earth was everyone?

It was Aragorn who found her. He sat beside her on the bench without saying a word. Marina looked at him a moment, then went back to looking out over the city.

"Everyone is resting. It's early yet." He finally said.

"How long have I been asleep?"

"Almost four days."

"No wonder I can't sleep anymore…" she said as she shook her head. "Where can I get a bath?" she asked him.

"Head back down the hall and go down two flights of stairs. There's a bathhouse there, you'll be able to find it easily."

"Thank you." She stood and smiled at him. "Your majesty." She skipped off before she could see his reaction, but he only smiled. It was a title he had yet to get used to.

Marina followed the soon to be King's directions and was able to follow her nose the rest of the way. A few short hours later, she was clean and refreshed, and wearing some clothing which had quickly been trimmed to her height by a helpful seamstress. It was just a plain blue dress of rough cotton, so Marina used her belt and necklace to spruce it up a bit. When she made it back to her room, she arrived to find Pippin kneeling on the floor to look under her bed.

"What in Middle Earth are you doing?"

Pippin spun to see Marina standing in the doorway, her hands on her hips and an eyebrow raised in amusement. He hopped to his feet and ran to her, hugging her tightly. Marina hugged him back just as hard, not wanting to let go. She'd only seen glimpses of his face as she'd drifted in and out of consciousness since she'd watched him ride away from Edoras. Being able to touch him and make sure he was safe was like a dream come true. Finally, she giggled a bit and he pulled away, his cheeks pink.

"So…what were you looking for?" she asked in confusion. His blush darkened.

"You.."

"Me? Why?"

"I woke up and you weren't in bed. I was afraid maybe you'd…I don't know…fallen." Now Marina burst out laughing.

"You thought I'd fallen out of bed?"

"Well…it was a possibility." Pippin said defensively. Marina bit back another smile and patted him fondly on the cheek.

"Oh Pip…this is why I missed you so. You manage to make everything better no matter what." Pippin just grinned and pulled her into another hug, only to push her away a moment later.

"You smell amazing, and I certainly don't. I'm going to go get washed up. Don't wander off!" he dashed from the room before his cheeks could flare their deep red color. He heard Marina chuckle as he left and smiled to himself. It was good to have her back.

* * *

Arianna sat perched on the steps leading to the dais where the white marble throne. She had out her dagger and was using it to clean out the grit from under her fingernails. After a day and half of helping out in the hospitals, she'd finally been kicked out to be useful elsewhere. Arianna had left happily, preferring to help with the hard labor of building new homes for the people than being stuck surrounded by death and sickness. Now, she was filthy and happily so. She'd worked hard and had made a difference. She wasn't just getting in the way of others.

Gimli sat near her, in the Steward's throne of all places. He puffed on his pipe, grumpy as he'd been dragged from his supper to come to the meeting. Erynion sat at the top of the chair, looking down at Gimli's head as if considering sitting there instead. Gandalf paced the floor, Aragorn stood off to one side, and Legolas and Èomer stood to the other. They'd all come together in council to discuss the goings on in Middle Earth, and what they needed to do next. As Arianna had expected, Frodo was the beginning of the discussion.

"How can we know where the hobbit is? Or if he has failed?" Èomer was asking.

"Gandalf has the power to see him. Or sense him somewhat." Arianna offered. But Gandalf was shaking his head.

"Frodo has passed beyond my sight. The darkness is deepening."

"If Sauron had the ring we would know it." Aragorn pointed out. Arianna nodded her agreement. If he'd gotten his precious ring back, they'd have been wiped off the face of Middle Earth already.

"It is only a matter of time." Gandalf said pessimistically. "He has suffered a defeat, yes, but behind the walls of Mordor our enemy is regrouping."

"Let him stay there." Gimli said gruffly. "Let him rot! Why should we care?"

"Because ten thousand orcs now stand between Frodo and his destination." Arianna said in worry, realizing what Gandalf was getting at.

"I've sent him to his death." The wizard said sadly.

"No." Aragorn said, finally turning to face the rest of them. "No. There's still hope for Frodo. He needs time, and safe passage across the Plains of Gorgoroth. We can give him that."

"How?" Gimli asked suspiciously.

"Draw out Sauron's armies. Empty his lands. Then we gather our full strength and march on the Black Gate." Aragorn said, his head raising in confidence.

"We cannot achieve victory through strength of arms." Èomer said as he came forward. Arianna was thinking along the same lines. What good would it do Frodo if they were all dead on the plains in front of the Black Gate?

"Not for ourselves, but we can give Frodo his chance if we keep Sauron's Eye fixed upon us. Keep him blind to all else that moves." He said mysteriously. Arianna smirked a bit. It looked like her twin had a plan.

"A diversion." Legolas said with a smile of his own.

"Certainty of death. Small chance of success. What are we waiting for?" Gimli said sarcastically. Arianna just laughed and cuffed him across the shoulder.

"We've had plenty of practice in situations like this by now." She pointed out. "We're the perfect ones for the job!"

"Sauron will suspect a trap. He will not take the bait." Gandalf was saying to Aragorn. Arianna looked over to see her brother smile knowingly.

"Oh I think he will." With that, Gandalf gave a sharp nod and stalked out of the throne room, his staff tapping the floor with every other step. Èomer bowed to them all and followed. Gimli hopped down from his chair and left through a side door, most likely heading back to his evening meal. Legolas looked at her and she nodded at the door, telling him with her eyes that she'd be there in a moment. He nodded and left as well, leaving her alone with her twin. The hooting Erynion didn't really count.

"Aragorn…what exactly are you planning?" she asked, pulling out a whetstone to sharpen her dagger. He came to sit in front of her on the steps with a sigh.

"We needed bait."

"Yes, but what bait is going to be tempting enough to make Sauron himself lose focus?"

"Me." Arianna's eyes widened as his idea clicked in her mind.

"You're going to use the Palantír!" she accused. He only nodded, his shoulders slumped. "No! Aragorn, you can't! It's far too dangerous!" She saw his back stiffen, as it often did when he was worried or determined. And right now, he was probably both. Arianna sighed, slipping her dagger back into its sheath with a click. She knew he knew the consequences…and she knew there wasn't much else that could be done. "I know there's not much choice…but it does not mean I have to like it." She stood and was about to walk away when she was pulled into a tight hug. She squeezed her eyes shut, burying her face in Aragorn's shoulder.

"I have to…" he whispered. Arianna only sniffed and he pulled away. "Are you…crying?" he asked in disbelief. She shook her head, sniffing again.

"No!" she insisted, but a tear escaped anyway. "Alright yes, I am. Aragorn…I've lost you once already, I don't want it to happen again." She explained in a soft voice. He pulled her back into the hug, shushing her gently like he had when they were children.

"You never lost me before, and you never will." He insisted. "Even if I don't survive the battle, I will live on. Though Legolas's faith, through Gimli's strength, and through your heart. I can do all I can, but it is those around me who give me the power to go on." Arianna pulled back to look him in the eye and sniffed again.

"You need a shave." She teased. Aragorn burst into laughter, the seriousness of his speech drifted from the room as if it had never been there. Erynion, aware of the fact, came over to sit on Arianna's shoulder.

"I don't know, I think I rather like the beard." He said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as they strolled towards the door.

"Arwen certainly will." Arianna teased, laughing when his cheeks turned pink. "She always liked men with beards…she told me she couldn't wait till you finally grew yours out." Aragorn glared down at her, though his eyes were sparkling.

"Well if you keep courting the elf you won't have to worry about beards." Arianna felt her cheeks warm as well, but she smiled at the same time.

"I know!" she said cheerfully. The two of them exited the throne room in good humor, and Legolas raised an eyebrow. He'd been standing beside the door waiting for Arianna to come out; it was odd to hear such laughter considering what was happening. But he couldn't help but smile at the sight of her shining eyes, which lit up when she noticed him. She clapped her brother on the shoulder and came over to him. "I hope you're hungry, because I'm starving and I want to eat before Gimli cleans us out entirely!"

* * *

The next few days were spent preparing for the coming battle. Aragorn was distant to everyone, and for some reason he no longer wore the Evenstar pendant Arwen had given him all those years ago. He refused to say why, but Arianna suspected it was something involving that horrible Palantír. Something had happened that night, besides Aragorn revealing to Sauron who he was. But he refused to say a word, so Arianna threw her energy into work rather than worry in an effort to remain useful.

Finally, the day to ride out came. Everyone was up before dawn making last minute preparations and saying their final goodbyes to their loved ones. Marina stood in her room looking out the window, worry filling her eyes. That was how Pippin found her when he came into the room all dressed in his Tower Guard uniform.

"Mari? What's wrong?" She turned to smile at him, but the sight of his armor made her tear up and she turned away again. "Mari?" he asked again, coming up behind her. She spun and flung her arms around his neck, burying her face in his chest. He could feel her shaking, she seemed close to bursting into tears! "Mari, it's alright, I'm here." He whispered into her hair, pulling her close.

He was stronger than he used to be…she could feel his muscles even through his mail shirt. And the way he held her now…it was nothing like the Pippin she used to know. He was strong, confident. He'd grown up. And here she was doing just the opposite. She pulled back, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, trying to smile in reassurance. It didn't work; she knew he could tell she was pretending. That was one of the worst parts of being so close to someone, they could see right through you.

"Mari…"he said, almost sternly. "Come on, what is it?" Her eyes filled with tears again but didn't overflow.

"I'm scared." She said in a whisper so soft he almost didn't catch it. But he did, and it threw him for a loop. Marina was scared? But…she'd always been the brave one of the two of them! Pippin was terrified himself, but…Marina had always been so strong, even when it came to fighting. He took her hands and led her to the nearest bed, sitting her down and taking a seat beside her.

"Mari…I'm scared too." He told her, putting a finger under her chin and making her look him in the eye. "Terrified actually. I don't want to go into battle so soon after the last one. Or ever if I can help it." She smiled a tiny bit and he took it as a good sign. "Mari…you've always been the fighter of the two of us. What changed?"

She sat in silence for a moment. It wasn't a simple answer really…not as simple as she would have liked it to be.

"I'm not frightened for myself." She finally said. "I'm frightened for everyone else. I could go and fight all day and night and not be afraid. But…I'm terrified that I'll lose friends. I lost too many in the last battle, I don't know if I can handle losing any more." By the time she was done, her voice was softer than a whisper again. "I'm afraid of losing Aragorn and Arianna, Gimli and Legolas…but…" she bit her lip and looked down.

"But…?" Pippin prompted. She finally looked him in the eye, her eyes over-bright with tears.

"But I'm most frightened that I'll lose you Pip." She shook her head as a single tear fell. "I don't know what I would do without you." She blushed a deep red and looked down at her lap once more, but Pippin only smiled. He cupped her right cheek with one hand and kissed the other gently.

"You'll never be able to get rid of me." he told her softly. She blinked and looked up at him, her cheek tingling where he'd kissed it. "No matter how hard you try." He finished with a smirk. She smiled back and threw her arms around his neck once more.

"I'm going to hold you to that promise." She whispered in his ear.

* * *

_Oh lordy...don't kill me! *ducks behind desk to avoid possible thrown objects* I swear I didn't forget to update, I just haven't had time! I would have updated thursday, but I was preparing for the trip I took (and am still on) for my Thanksgiving break...I'm not kidding, i've been so beyond busy this is the first time i've gotten on the computer before midnight in days! Apparently I have a social life when I visit people in other states, lol._

_It's been a wonderful trip, despite the busy schedule. The only bad part is that all my friends are at least an hours drive away...to put this into perspective, I've driven over 1000 miles by my myself since I've gotten here. And that's not including the drive to get hee in the first place! It's been a very very busy week. I drove 6 hours today alone, lol._

_Anyways, I hoped you enjoyed the chapter. Please review it'll mean tons! And you have every right to throw sharp and/or heavy objects at me... *winces*_

_Your humble authoress,_

_Whisperwings_


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Marina sat behind Èomer on his horse, carefully leaning over to peek around his red leather armor. It was fitting that she be paired with him really, being an honorary Shieldmaiden of Rohan still. Pippin rode in front of Gandalf, his blue tunic sticking out almost startlingly against the wizard's white robes. Gimli rode behind Legolas, as per his usual. They truly were an interesting pair, Marina thought with a smile. Aragorn and Arianna rode in front of them all. Aragorn looked almost suspiciously cleaned up, his hair combed and pulled back out of his face. His new armor was the colors of Minas Tirith, all blue and silver. It was odd considering his previously scruffy and well worn armor. Arianna looked almost exactly the same as the day they'd met all that time ago in Bree. Her armor was well worn and looked it. Her elvish cloak was pinned about her neck, and her hair was pulled back into a single braid. But she too had changed a lot over the past months, more than one may guess.

The group was riding at the front of an army of men, the combined armies of Rohan and Gondor. They were almost a pathetically small force, considering they were riding to the gates of Mordor itself. All of Saruman's army lie in wait on the other side; they wouldn't be much of a challenge.

For the dozenth time, Marina leaned around Èomer's shoulder to see what was ahead. Èomer half turned to give her a look. She blushed and mumbled an apology, but only found herself doing it again a few minutes later.

"Is something wrong?" Èomer finally asked.

"No." she said, then changed her mind. "Yes, there is. Where is the enemy? Shouldn't there be someone about to hinder our progress? We're marching on the main gate of their foul land after all, you'd think they'd try and protect it. Èomer looked about, he'd noticed the same thing.

"I think they know we're coming. Sauron does at the very least. And if I'm not mistaken, he wants us to come to the Black Gate itself. He wants to watch as his creatures attempt to slaughter us." Marina didn't say anything. She had the horrible feeling that the monsters wouldn't have to do much attempting, they'd simply slaughter them. She looked over at Pippin who looked back with a confident smile. She smiled back at him, letting it fade after he turned away. She'd seen the fear and worry in his eyes, he couldn't hide that from her.

Arianna was thinking along the same lines. She kept a loose and confident grip on the reins, and an easy posture. But her face was pinched in worry and suspicion.

"I don't like this." She said so only Aragorn could hear. He looked over at her and his eyes told her he agreed. But he didn't say a word, simply looked forward once again. Arianna looked down at the pommel of the saddle, where Erynion sat. "You should have stayed back at Minas Tirith." She told the owl. He looked up at her and gave a small hoot of what sounded like disagreement. He hoped his way up Vanya's mane, perching on her head and looking forwards.

Finally they turned a corner and there it was. The Black Gate. The end of the long road and the beginning of the final battle. Their journey before now had all been leading up to this point. And…there was no one here! The Black Gate sat before them, spanning the width of the entire canyon. But there were no guards, no lookouts…no one.

"Where are they?" she heard Pippin say behind her. Aragorn didn't seem to have an answer, but he spurred his horse forwards. Arianna and the others hurried to follow, while the army stayed where they stood. They didn't have to come any closer yet, and they wouldn't until they had to. When they reached the gate itself, Arianna patted Vanya's neck and whispered what a good girl she was. The mare didn't like the gate at all; she did not want to be there. Arianna couldn't blame her. The gate was all sharp angles and threatening spires. And the land behind it reeked of death. She didn't envy Frodo and Sam for having to journey through the horrible place.

"Let the Lord of the Black Land come forth! Let justice be done upon him!" Aragorn suddenly called. For a moment, nothing happened and Arianna was about to suggest he try again when they heard a groan. Erynion gave a frightened hoot and fluttered to her shoulder. She sat up straight as the gate opened just enough to allow a single horse though. And a single horse came, ridden by a being which made her grimace. It was humanoid, covered head to foot in black armor. But the only part of his face which they could see was a large, grotesque mouth.

"My master, Sauron the Great, bids thee welcome." The thing said, giving them what might be described as a welcoming smile, but from him only looked like a grimace. "Is there any in this rout with the authority to treat with me?" Aragorn raised his eyebrows, the look on his face seemed unbelieving. Arianna was still grimacing. She couldn't look away from the large mouth…it was that disgusting to her.

"We do not come to treat with Sauron, faithless and accursed." Gandalf said. The being hissed at them, but Gandalf went on. "Tell your master this: The armies of Mordor must disband. He is to depart these lands, never to return."

Instead of answering directly, the Mouth of Sauron smiled condescendingly. "Old Greybeard. I have a token I was bidden to show thee."

Marina gasped as the man-thing held up a familiar shining object. It was the Mithril shirt Frodo had been wearing his entire journey. The one Bilbo had given him before they'd left Rivendell. If the enemy had it… The Mouth of Sauron tossed the shirt to Gandalf who awkwardly caught it and handed it to Pippin.

"Frodo!" Pippin exclaimed.

"Silence." Gandalf told him.

"No!" Marina found herself saying aloud. Frodo couldn't be dead, he simply couldn't be!

"Silence!" Gandalf ordered again, louder this time. Marina clapped her mouth shut, but she knew the damage had been done.

"The Halfling was dear to thee, I see. Know that he suffered greatly at the hands of his host. Who would've thought one so small could endure so much pain? And he did, Gandalf. He did." Marina's jaw ached she was clenching it so hard, but it kept her tears from overflowing so she refused to stop. She would not believe that Frodo was dead…if he was then Sauron would surely have the ring already! Aragorn rode forward slowly, looking almost casual.

"And who is this? Isildur's heir? It takes more to make a king than a broken Elvish blade." The creature said. Aragorn smiled at him, before swiping out his sword and chopping his head right off.

"I guess that concludes negotiations." Gimli said from his seat behind Legolas. Arianna smiled a bit evilly. She'd been thinking about doing the exact same thing. Erynion went back to Vanya's head, hooting happily. Aragorn turned his horse around to face the rest of them, an intense look on his face.

"I do not believe it." he told them. "I will not!" The gate behind him groaned and he turned towards it again. It was opening farther, and behind it…was Sauron's army, marching towards them. Behind the army was a large threatening tower, where the eye of Sauron himself sat. And it was staring right at them, unwavering in its gaze. Arianna smiled again. Frodo was now free to get through to Mount Doom, with Sauron being none the wiser! "Pull back!" Aragorn ordered them. They didn't need to be told twice, though he repeated the order. They all turned and rode back to their own awaiting army, who looked very unsettled at the sight of the orc arm before them.

"Hold your ground!" Aragorn ordered, his confident voice piercing through the cloud of fear which hovered over them all. "Sons of Gondor! Of Rohan! My brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me!" he cried to the men before him, as he rode his horse back and forth. "A day may come when the courage of Men fails, when we forsake our friends, and break all bonds of fellowship, but itisnotthisday. An hour of wolves and shattered shields when the Age of Men comes crashing down, but it is not this day! This day we _fight_! By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand, Men of the West!"

As he spoke, Arianna watched the faces of the men surrounding her. They all slid evenly from pure terror to confidence. She was impressed. In the time he'd been gone, Aragorn had truly become a leader. She smiled at him, nodding proudly when he glanced at her. He nodded back before drawing his sword and turning to face the coming orc army.

As the army of orcs flowed from the Black Gate, they spit to encircle the small group of men. The horses were panicking as the stench of the Black Land flowed out to them. Without full control of their horses, they'd be useless. Everyone decided it was safer if they were to dismount. Panicking horses would only create confusion, and they couldn't afford the distraction. One by one, the horses were sent off, they ran into the distance, heading home to their own stables where they knew they'd find a gentle hand and good food.

Marina stood beside Pippin, her breathing calm and collected. In the light of the upcoming battle, her mind had completely cleared and she was ready to fight. Pippin stood beside her, nervous, but steady. As the orc army surrounded them, she took his hand and squeezed it tightly. At this point it looked like neither of them would make it out of this alive. But they'd die together, and that was better than nothing.

"I never thought I'd die fighting side by side with an elf." Gimli said as he watched the seemingly never ending army flow from the gate. Legolas smiled down at him.

"What about side by side with a friend?" Gimli looked back up at him with a smile of his own.

"Aye. I could do that."

"Awww you two are so adorable! When's the wedding?" Arianna teased. Gimli glared at her and she leaned down to kiss him on the forehead. "If we live through this, you owe me a tour of your home." She told him, referring back to the day they'd met in Rivendell.

"But of course lassie, I wouldn't have it any other way." He said in a voice which was gruffer than usual. He was trying to be strong and un-emotional, but it only made Arianna smile. She then turned to Legolas and laid her head on his shoulder.

"And you…"

"I owe you a proper marriage proposal." Legolas interrupted. She looked up at him, shocked.

"What?" she asked dumbly. He smiled at her and gave her a short but tender kiss.

"Once this is over, I'm going to have to ask you to marry me."

"Why not here?"

"Because if I do it now, it'll be because I'm not sure we're going to make it through this alive. And I'm not going to propose because we're going to die together. I'm going to propose because we're going to live long and happy lives together." Arianna looked up the short distance to his face, her eyes shining with happiness.

"Well, when you propose later, I'll be saying yes." She told him with a smile. He smiled back and leaned down to kiss her again.

But then the moment was over, and Arianna had to force herself to pull away from Legolas's soft lips. They had a battle to focus on, though her heart was glowing with happiness for the future. They were completely surrounded now, and cut off from any escape. From a distance, their army must look like a rowboat in the middle of a sea.

Then, Aragorn was stepping forward, lowering his sword. He seemed to be hearing something only he could hear. In what seemed to be slow motion, he turned and looked at them all. Gandalf held up Frodo's mithril shirt, tears in his eyes. The wizard seemed convinced that they were all about to die for nothing. But Aragorn just smiled serenely at them all.

"For Frodo." He said softly. He lifted his sword again and started running towards the enemy. Marina looked at Pippin and came to the same conclusion. They nodded at each other and took off after Aragorn, prepared to fight and die for their fellow Hobbits. The rest of the army followed their example, lifting their weapons and charging forwards. This was going to be a day none of them would ever forget, even if they didn't survive to see the end of it.

Marina and Pippin fought side by side, always being sure to stay in each other's sight. And they made a good team by now too. They'd known each other long enough that they could predict the moves of the other and could move in to help where their defenses were weaker. Marina suddenly had to stop short when she almost ran into Gandalf. She looked up to see if he was alright, but he was only watching the sky.

"Eagles!" she heard Pippin cry out. She turned to look up as well, and saw giant golden eagles flying out of the cloud cover. "The eagles are coming!" Pippin yelled to everyone around them. It was worth shouting about, the eagles were attacking the Nazgûl who'd gathered to fill the skies above. As they fought their battle in the sky, those on the ground were able to continue their own, without having to worry about creatures diving down to attack.

Arianna was fighting back to back with Aragorn. She'd gotten separated from most everyone else, but she'd stay to watch her brother's back. Legolas and Gimli could take care of themselves she knew. She slowed down for a moment when suddenly the surviving Nazgûl turned tail and fled back into Mordor.

"What are they doing?" she asked aloud, knowing Aragorn had noticed it too. It was odd for them to leave randomly like that…before a solution could enter her mind however, he was running off back into the battle. Arianna continued to fight where she was, there was plenty opportunity for her to do damage right here. Suddenly, she heard a large rumbling behind her. She turned to see a troll fighting his way towards her. She glared at it and he glared right back. She didn't know why it had singled her out of all people, but she wasn't going to let it get away from her alive.

She dodged as it swung its enormous sword down at her head. She rolled and ended up right back on her feet, taking the opportunity to slash at his face while it was low to the ground. He pulled back with a roar and ripped his sword from the ground where it had gotten stuck, and swung it sideways at her. Arianna barely managed to jump over the blade, but fell when she landed on the other side.

Legolas turned to see Arianna, the love of his life, fighting a troll on her own. He panicked and left Gimli's side to run towards her, but the entire army seemed to be in his way. He screamed her name but he knew she couldn't hear him; she was too focused on surviving the troll's assault. He watched as she barely dodged the troll's blade over and over, and could tell she was tiring. Her jumps weren't nimble so much as necessary now. And each time she fell to the ground it took her longer to gain her footing. She took every opportunity to cause damage to the troll as well, but it wasn't enough.

Finally, she was too slow. She only had time to roll over before the troll stomped on her chest. Arianna grunted painfully as the air was pushed from her lungs and she struggled to breathe in again. Her cloudy mind searched for a solution, but her only thought was to somehow call for help. Finally, her fingers grabbed the hilt of her dagger and without thinking she plunged it into the troll's foot. He roared in pain and stepped back, and she gratefully pulled air into her oxygen starved lungs. He was then pulling his sword back, but right before he plunged it into her, he froze and turned. Something was happening through the Black gate, something she couldn't see. Orcs all around them were dropping their weapons and fleeing all of a sudden. Arianna managed to get herself propped up on her elbows and tried to scramble backwards before the troll could turn. But once again, she was too slow. The troll turned, and without hesitation, plunged the sword through her stomach and into the ground below her. Arianna gasped at the odd sensation of the rough metal tearing through her insides. It was painful…but somehow it was already a fading pain. Dull to her already fuzzy mind.

Legolas felt as if someone had ripped his heart out of his chest and plunged it into a cold stream. He could think of nothing else but getting to Arianna. He cried out her name over and over, but he couldn't be heard over the terrified roars of the orcs and trolls who were fleeing. Finally he reached her side, dropping to his knees. A slow trickle of blood dripped from the corner of her mouth, dripping into the dust beside her head. He stood and pulled the enormous sword from her stomach, tossing it aside and falling to his knees once again.

"Arianna?" he called to her, fearing the worst. He felt his heart skip a beat when her eyes fluttered open. "Ari! Thank the gods, you're alive." She smiled up at him, her lips trembling at the effort.

"Not for very much longer I think…" she said slowly. "I can't feel anything…no pain…no sadness…" Her eyes were glassy, he wasn't certain if she'd be able to see for much longer. Legolas barely noticed Erynion land on his shoulder, hooting sadly.

"No…" he breathed, shaking his head. "No, you're going to be alright." He insisted. "We're going to get married remember? And live long and happy lives, and have children and grandchildren…" He shook her gently, trying to keep her with him. "Ari…you can't die, not now. Not now that we've won!"

"We…we won?" she asked. Legolas nodded, looking up through the Black gate.

"Yes. The tower is collapsing. Sauron has been defeated." Arianna smiled again.

"That's good…" her eyes were fluttering shut, and Legolas was struggling to keep from tears.

"Arianna? Arianna! No, no stop. You…you can't leave me." Her eyes fluttered again, she was having a hard time keeping them open he could tell, and breathing was a struggle.

"I'm not going anywhere…not really." She breathed. "I love you Legolas…never forget that." She took a shuttering breath. "I will…always…" And with that, her eyes shut for the final time and she didn't breathe in again. Legolas felt his tears spill over and he pulled Arianna's body to his chest, burying his face in her hair. It wasn't fair…they'd lasted through everything up till now, and then here, at the end of it all, she was taken away. Her life had been stolen from her, and from him… it wasn't fair.

Marina clutched at Pippin's arm, cheering as the distant tower collapsed. They'd done it! They'd won! She watched in awe as the earth itself collapsed in on itself, creating a canyon where the Black gate once stood. The collapse continued, splitting to go around the army of men, and swallowing almost the entirety of Sauron's forces.

But then something happened to make the cheer die on Marina's lips. Mount Doom exploded in a fiery eruption of lava and fire. But…Frodo and Sam…they were still inside! "No…" she exclaimed. "No, it can't be…" Tears filled her eyes as she stared in horror at the exploding mountain. They'd won, Frodo and Sam couldn't die now.

Pippin was on his knees beside her, sobbing at the loss of their two best friends. Marina looked to see Gandalf staring in horror, tears running down his own face. Legolas knelt in the distance…but…Marina gasped. He didn't seem to have even noticed the eruption of the volcano, but she could see why. Arianna hung limply in his arms, one hand dangling lifeless on the ground beside them.

First Frodo and Sam, and now Arianna as well? Marina shook her head, choking on her tears. She collapsed to the ground, leaning her head forward until her hair brushed the dirt. She buried her face in her hands, sobbing her heart out. She felt Pippin crawl to her and wrap his arms around her, and she leaned into his chest, unable to stop the tears from coming. It was all too much to handle right now…too much for any of them.

* * *

_Please don't kill me!!!_ _*hides* I will only say this: "It's not what it seems". Yeah...I dunno what that's suppose to mean, I stole it from Swan Princess, lol._

_Please do review though ^^_

_Your humble (and rather frightened) authoress,_

_Whisperwings  
_


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Legolas lay on his bed in silence. He started at the ceiling as memories whirled around his head. They were happy ones, sad ones…he didn't care, as long as they involved Arianna. His beautiful Arianna…

He'd been alive for centuries and never had he met a woman quite like her. And he knew he'd never be able to again. Without her, his heart was empty, life held no purpose.

He'd seen grief often enough before…he knew he would get over it eventually. What was new was feeling the grief himself. He'd comforted others for the loss of loved ones, but he'd never known how painful it truly was.

Gimli and Aragorn spent time with him, offering him welcome distractions in card games and discussions of Aragorn's rise to kingship. But sooner or later, he was alone again. Laying in bed, staring at his ceiling.

His emotions varied enormously. He'd be angry one minute, slamming his fist against the stone wall, and then he'd be sobbing, unable to crawl to his bed. Other times he couldn't speak, and he would sit and stare at the wall, not seeing anything.

His dreams were full of her. Watching her smile as she rode Vanya. Seeing the dress she wore at the feast back in Rohan. Holding her as she cried for fear of being useless. He didn't know how many times he'd woken to pillows soaked with tears, or holding one tight as if it was the woman he ached to have in his arms.

All he had was her circlet. It was a plain silver band. No jewels or ornamentation. It, like her spirit, was dull with death. He'd set it on the desk in his room and hadn't looked at it since.

He couldn't.

No matter how much he dreamed, screamed, prayed or cried…she wasn't coming back. And somehow he had to get used to that.

* * *

Marina sat on the bed in her room at Minas Tirith, feeling numb to the world. She'd hardly spoken a word since the battle, and only left the room to eat and to use the privy down the hall. She knew she was worrying Pippin half to death, but she also knew he understood. He hadn't been himself either, but he spent his time aimlessly wandering the city rather than try and sit still.

After the battle was over, Gandalf had enlisted the help of the Golden Eagles to try and find Frodo. The wizard had clung to the faintest hope that the two hobbits had managed to survive. And that hope had been rewarded. Frodo and Sam were found on a rock not too far from the cave opening, surrounded by boiling magma. They'd been brought back to Minas Tirith and given the most luxurious rooms available while they recovered.

She felt someone sit beside her on the bed and glanced over to see Sam. He still looked exhausted, and he had cuts and bruises all over the place. His journey had been so difficult. He was no longer the innocent and hopeful hobbit she'd once known. Despite it all though, he was here, smiling a comforting smile at her. He was still so strong and supportive. Maybe he hadn't changed quite so much.

"Is he awake yet?" she asked in a soft voice. They both knew she was talking about Frodo. Sam shook his head.

"Not yet…" Marina nodded, turning to look towards the window again. The silence grew a bit awkward, neither sure of what to say. Thankfully Pippin chose that moment to come into the room.

"Is anyone else hungry?" Sam jumped to his feet; he'd been eating enough food to make up for the shortage on his travels it seemed. Marina couldn't help but smile and she stood as well. Pippin came over and took her hand, leading them from the room. Neither noticed the smile which spread across Sam's face at the action.

After eating, the three of them went to sit in a small courtyard just outside of Frodo's given room. Gandalf was sitting with him, but they wanted to be nearby in case he woke up. Marina got out her drawing supplies, sketching the Shire from her memory. She was feeling rather conflicted. Going home seemed like the best thing in the world…but it would be so different from the world she'd come to know over the past year. She wasn't sure she'd be able to just slide back into her old place as if she'd never left…

The sound of laughter made her look up. Was that…Gandalf? It was! Gandalf was laughing heartily in Frodo's room. That only meant one thing…

"He's awake!" she exclaimed, hopping to her feet and allowing her drawing things to clatter to the flagstone ground. She dashed to the doorway and pushed it open, feeling Pippin right behind her.

Frodo looked to the opening door to see Marina and Pippin. He laughed some more as he saw their faces light up in happiness. Marina dashed forwards, hopping right onto the bed and flinging her arms about his neck. Pippin jumped up onto the other side and clapped him on the shoulder. Frodo hugged Marina back and pulled away to see someone else in the doorway.

"Gimli!" he exclaimed happily, and the dwarf laughed in delight. He was followed by Legolas, strikingly handsome in his clean clothing. He smiled at the hobbit, and Aragorn behind him chuckled at the gathering. Frodo called his name and he smiled wider. Frodo saw Sam enter the doorway and felt his smile soften. It was over…they'd done it. He looked around happily at all of his friends, but noticed that someone was missing.

"Where's Arianna?" he asked suddenly. The laughter and smiles around the room faded or became fixed. Legolas's eyes dulled to the point that Frodo's own widened in fear. "What? No…she can't have…" he shook his head in disbelief.

"She is still here, though only in spirit." A new voice said. Everyone turned to see Lord Elrond of Rivendell standing behind Sam in the doorway.

"Did you…did you bring her back?" Frodo asked in a small voice. Gimli was the one who nodded.

"She's in a special place not too far from here."

"It is a room near the Silent Street, designed for embalming. Spells have been cast to keep bodies contained within from decaying before it is time for the burial." Gandalf explained, his voice gruff with emotion. Frodo nodded and pull himself from the sheets of his bed.

"I want to see her." He said to them all, standing shakily beside the bed. Everyone could see that his knees were trembling from the effort, but the determination in his eyes kept them from arguing against it. Instead, Gandalf nodded and motioned for them all to leave. Only Pippin stayed, saying he would help Frodo to get dressed. At first Frodo was going to argue, but he could tell his fingers were still and swollen…he wouldn't be able to do so much as button a button or tie a tie.

"What happened?" he finally asked, needing to know what had happened to the rest of the Fellowship after he'd left. Pippin understood the vague question and proceeded to give Frodo a shortened version of the events which had transpired.

"Then we marched on the Black Gate, and fought in an effort to distract Sauron from you and Sam." He finished up as he helped Frodo into his jacket.

"And that's where…" Pippin nodded.

"Where Arianna died…fighting a troll single handedly." Frodo shuddered and pulled his coat tight around him. "Well, let's head over there." Pippin said, sounding like he absolutely hated the idea. Frodo couldn't blame him…it wasn't the happiest of trips Frodo was making him go on. They exited the room to find Marina and Sam sitting on a bench. Marina came over and took Frodo's arm, for both mental and physical support.

"I'm going to go with him." She told Pippin. The hobbit gave her a grateful smile and squeezed her hand before going off with Sam. Frodo looked slyly at her and she felt her cheeks warm.

"What?"

"You and Pippin then?"

"What?! No! I-I mean…no, there's…oh hush." She mumbled at Frodo's laughter. She sighed and started the walk towards the Silent Street. "There's nothing between us. Truly." She insisted, her cheeks bright pink. Frodo just raised an eyebrow at her.

"I don't think Pippin feels that way." Frodo told her honestly. "And I can tell you don't either." Marina blushed even deeper.

"I can't say I know how Pippin feels…but I refuse to assume anything." She told him.

"I'm not saying you have to-" Marina cut Frodo off.

"Yes you are. You're telling me that you know how he feels when you in fact do not. You're going to get my hopes up only to have them crushed when it turns out to be false."

"But you do have hopes." Frodo said, pouncing on her words with satisfaction. She glared at him, realizing he was trying to get her to admit her feelings aloud.

"Whether I do or not, it doesn't mean I'm going to drop everything on the slight chance that he may or may not have feelings for me." Frodo stopped, making her look at him.

"Marina, you and I have been friends for a long time. Long enough that I think you can be honest with me about something this important."

"It's not important…" Marina whispered, trying to keep control of the conversation. Frodo would have none of it however.

"Of course it's important!" he insisted. "Marina…you deserve to be loved, can't you see that?"

"But I don't _need_ to be loved." Her eyes told him she was lying.

"You may not need it exactly," Frodo tried to explain. "But you can't tell me that you don't want it." Marina shrugged, not saying a word. "Why don't you ask him?" Her eyes widened.

"What?! Are you out of your mind? I can't do that!"

"Well why not?"

"Oh that's going to go over wonderfully." Marina exclaimed sarcastically. "'Hello Pip, I just wanted to tell you that I'm risking our friendship to tell you that I'm head over heels in love with you.'"

"Ah ha! You _do _love him!" Frodo said triumphantly. Marina shushed him, looking about to see if anyone had heard.

"Keep your voice down!"

"Why should I? I think he deserves to know."

"No! Frodo please, you mustn't breath a word to him about this!" Her eyes searched his desperately.

"I'm not going to, you are."

"No, I most certainly am not." Marina said, shaking her head fiercely.

"But why?"

"Because…" she sighed. "Because I'm frightened."

"Whatever for?"

"Oh Frodo, don't you see? If Pippin doesn't see me as anything more than a friend and I tell him that I love him…then our friendship will be ruined. After a confession like that, there is no way things could go back to normal between us." Frodo walked in silence for a moment, thinking it over.

Frodo was positive that Pippin loved Marina. He'd been in love with her for years now, though he may not have realized it for a long time. Frodo wasn't even sure Pippin realized it now. But he could see how Marina had come to the confusion she had. And he could see why she was unwilling to risk it.

The friendship Marina and Pippin had was stronger than any bond he'd ever seen between two individuals. They often finished each other's sentences, they thought along the same lines, and they worked together as a team amazingly well. And in the ways they were different, they only balanced each other out. Marina was neat and organized while Pippin was more on the messy side. Marina was strong and brave while Pippin was sly and careful. Marina often thought with her head while Pippin thought with his heart.

Frodo supposed that was why neither of them had really realized the bond they had. They were friends and they knew it. But neither had any idea for years of their own feelings, let alone thought of the possibility that the other may share those feelings. Marina always thought things through logically and patiently. In her mind, the risk of losing their friendship was greater than the possibility of Pippin loving her back. And so, in her logical way, she'd decided not to risk it at all.

Pippin would have to be the one to make the first move then. The thought almost made Frodo snort aloud. Pippin…wasn't the bravest of the bunch. Marina was the one with the guts to take chances, not Pippin. Pippin could be completely in love with Marina, but he would never have the nerve to tell her so.

It was quite a predicament… It seemed that their balanced relationship was balanced incorrectly for anything to happen between them. If Marina thought with her heart a bit more…or if Pippin had a bit of her bravery, then maybe the two of them wouldn't be stuck at the crossroads they'd come to. Maybe they'd be able to actually get moving once more down a new road. As it was, it looked like they would simply be stuck where they were, unable to make any progress in any direction.

Frodo tried to talk about it some more, he wanted to make something happen! Marina however refused to say another word on the subject and chatted on about anything and everything else until they reached their destination.

"Why don't you tell her?" Sam was asking Pippin. Unknowingly, he was thinking much the same thoughts as Frodo, half a city away. Pippin had confessed his feelings for Marina only a few minutes before, and was certain that she didn't feel the same.

"What, are you insane? I can't do that!" Frodo and Sam would later be laughing over the way Pippin and Marina had said almost the exact same thing.

"I don't see any reason not to." Sam told him. "After all, wouldn't it be better to at least try?"

"No. No it wouldn't." Pippin said firmly. Sam raised an eyebrow I confusion and Pippin sighed. "Imagine if I were to tell her that I loved her…and then she didn't feel the same? Everything would be so…awkward. How exactly are you supposed to act around someone who you only see as a friend but you know they see you as more? Our friendship would be ruined." He plopped his elbows on the table and his chin in his hands, looking dejected. Sam chuckled.

"Now think of it this way. What if you go your whole life loving her, and wondering if maybe she loved you back the whole time? What if you both miss your chance to be happy together, simply because neither of you ever said anything about it?"

Pippin shuddered. "That's more frightening than going back into battle…" he said softly.

"Exactly." Sam told him, sipping on a pint of ale. "When we get home…I'm going to talk to Rosie." Pippin sat up with an exaggerated gasp.

"You? You are actually going to talk to the girl? Without anyone else there to take over if you lose your nerve?" Sam glared at him and Pippin laughed, clapping him on the shoulder. "I'm just teasing Sam. If anything I applaud your nerve. I can't even tell a girl I talk to all the time how I really feel about her." Sam chuckled.

"Well…maybe the right time will come along and you'll know it's time to tell her. I just hope for your sake that its sooner rather late." With that he drained his mug and stood, making his way to his room for a nap. Pippin sat at the table by himself for a long time, thoughts whirling around his mind.

Frodo and Marina stopped, looking at the heavy somber door in front of them. Like everything else in this part of the city, it was grey. The colorless place made Marina feel awkward in the red dress she was wearing. She felt she should be wearing black or grey as well, so that she wouldn't stand out quite so badly. Frodo seemed able to sense her discomfort and patted her hand with his own. Finally they stepped forward and worked together to push open one of the doors, just enough for them to squeeze inside.

The room was all marble and stone, seeming to be carved from the mountain itself. Stone daises sat around the edges of the room, a few of them had cloth covered bodies on them. It was the one in the center of the room which drew their eye though. It was slightly larger, and Arianna lay upon as if she was simply asleep. Frodo shivered at the thought, but he was the first to step forward. Marina hurried to follow, deciding she'd rather remain by his side in this frightening place.

"She seems…paler than I recall." She whispered, brushing a strand of hair out of the woman's face. "Smaller somehow." Frodo nodded in agreement. In life, Arianna had been quiet, but strong. Her presence in a room was noticeable, and her personality was warm. Now though she seemed colder…fainter.

"That's because it's not her." Someone said behind them. Marina and Frodo spun in fright. Against the wall beside the door stood Legolas. Somehow he'd managed to enter the silent room without them noticing.

"What do you mean?" Marina asked him in confusion. Legolas came forward to stand on Arianna's other side, taking her hand in his own.

"The thing laying here…it is only a shell. A memory of who Arianna once was. Her spirit is no longer here though…so it's not really her that we're looking at." Despite his words, he was staring down at Arianna's face with eyes full of love and pain.

"That is only partially true." Marina spun for the second time in as many minutes, almost falling over in her haste. Lord Elrond now stood beside the door, having entered just as silently as Legolas had.

"Could you two try and make a bit more noise?" she asked them as she placed a hand on her quickened heart. "A bit of warning would be wonderful." Elrond offered her a rare smile.

"My apologies Miss Marina." He said with a nod. He came to the end of the dais, looking down at Arianna's face.

"What exactly do you mean?" Legolas asked him. "That what I said was only partially true?" Elrond looked up at Legolas, a slight sparkle to his eyes.

"She is still here. Her spirit. She still has some attachment to this world which is keeping her from traveling onto the next. And I believe that connection is you."

"Me?" Legolas asked in surprise. Elrond chuckled.

"Yes Legolas Greenleaf. You." He looked back down at Arianna's body, brushing her hair away from her face and neck. "There is still life in her…very faint, but it is there nonetheless." Marina looked at Frodo in shock and he looked back at her, just as confused. Legolas looked like he'd found the lifeline he'd been searching for.

"Is…is there anything we can do?" he asked, sounding almost afraid to ask. "To bring her back?" Elrond sighed and looked him in the eye.

"Yes."

* * *

_I know, i'm late again, i'm sorry! But I didn't have time to update in class thursday cuz we were reviewing for our exam next week. And yesterday (friday) was my 21st birthday, so I spent the day shopping and such ^^_

_I got a new desk! I'm going to have workspace! You have no idea how exciting that is, lol. And a suitcase...exciting, eh?_

_In any case, yes i'm late, but I hope this chapter has given you hope. Please review, it means sooo much!!_

_Your Humble Authoress,_

_Whisperwings  
_


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Marina's eyes were round as coins she was sure. There was a way to bring Arianna back? The possibility was astonishing even as it was frightening. Legolas's eyes held light though, whereas they'd been dull from grief since the battle at the Black Gate.

"There…there is a way to bring her back?" he asked Elrond for clarification.

"Yes. But it will be dangerous. And it will not be an easy task." He warned them. Legolas shook his head.

"I don't care, we have to try!" Elrod nodded.

"I thought you would say that." He nodded to the doorway where Marina turned to see a group of elves cloaked in black and silver. She jumped at the sight of them; yet again, she hadn't heard them come in. They all came forward to circle the dais which held Arianna's body. Elrond turned to Frodo and Marina. "I believe it would be best if you left. This is a long ceremony, and you won't be able to leave once it starts." Marina nodded, taking Frodo's arm and leading him to the door.

"What? But I want to see this." he insisted. She shook her head as she pulled the heavy door closed once again.

"Frodo, you need to rest. You won't be able to stay in there for who knows how long in your condition. You need food and a proper bed to sleep in. Besides…I think is something Legolas needs to do alone." Frodo sighed but didn't argue. She was right of course. His legs were feeling weak from the walk over here and they still needed to get back. And his stomach felt particularly empty, though he was used to that.

"Alright alright, you win." He teased her with a smile. "Let's go find Pippin and Sam, I'm sure they're somewhere with food." Marina laughed.

"Almost certainly." She agreed. "And I think I know where they went, come on."

* * *

Arianna was floating along unable to think a single thought for any period of time, and unable to feel any emotion. She was happy this way though. Well, not happy exactly, she couldn't feel happiness. She was a bubble of neutrality, who didn't care about anything one way or the other. A sudden jolt to her heart made her gasp though. A thought stronger than the rest passed through her mind, a thought connected with a feeling she could barely remember.

Love. Love…and Legolas!

A second jolt made her mind shriek in pain. Suddenly the neutral feelings which had been cushioning her flowed away, replaced with memories and thoughts and feelings. After such a long period of floating in nothingness, it was painful. And too much for her to handle.

"She's fading!" she heard someone shout distantly.

"No! Arianna, hold on please!"

"It is said to be a painful spell, we have no guarantee it will be successful."

"It _has _to work!"

Arianna knew those voices…somehow…but in the rush of memories trying to flow into her mind, she couldn't sort out who they were. She felt her lungs burning and suddenly realized she had to breathe. She'd forgotten all about breathing! She gasped, the painful cold air flowing into her lungs like ice.

"Look! Did you see-"

"I saw, but it doesn't mean it will work!"

Distantly Arianna heard chanting of some sort. That was something which didn't hurt her mind for some reason…maybe she hadn't heard it before, so her mind didn't need to find the memory? Whatever it was, it was soothing, so that's what Arianna concentrated on. Along with breathing. That was important too she recalled. She combined the two, breathing along with the sound of the chanting. Slowly her body remembered that breathing was a natural thing and that it wasn't something she needed to think about constantly.

"Alright Legolas, now!"

Legolas…she remembered Legolas. Her mind burned as she reached for the memories, but for some reason, she knew she _had_ to find them. The thought of not knowing who Legolas was terrified her for reasons unknown.

Distantly, she felt warm liquid drops fall onto her chest, directly over her heart. It was the only thing she could feel now, as the warmth from the drops seemed to seep into her chest and into her heart itself. She felt her heart beat for the first time in a very long time and screamed at the pain. Her body had settled into death enough that it wasn't expecting such a thing to happen. The knowledge that it suddenly needed to be up and running again was like the breaking of a dam. The blood in her veins was suddenly moving again, and oxygen being delivered to her muscles made her prickle all over. It was similar to the way one's leg might feel after it had fallen asleep…except a thousand times worse.

She felt a hand clasp her own. "Hold on Ari…it'll be over soon." Though the muscles in her fingers screamed at the effort, she gripped at the comforting hand. They were his…Legolas's. Her mind knew that somehow, even without her searching for an answer. Almost as if that knowledge was a key, memories of Legolas swirled to the front of her mind, and she watched them play out in a split second. Her feelings involving him came to mind as well.

She loved him. More than she'd ever loved anything. She squeezed his hand harder, happy that finally, something was making sense.

Arianna didn't know how long it took, but it seemed to take multiple lifetimes. It was time consuming: remembering every single thing that had ever happened to you. Thankfully the memories could overlap and flash past her mind's eye at a faster speed, otherwise it would have taken a whole lifetime to recall her previous one.

As her mind worked to remember all of her experiences, her body was remembering how it felt to be alive. Her muscles twitched in odd ways, nerve endings were re-growing where they'd died out already. Everything had to reconnect with itself, find itself again. Arianna had to wonder if she'd ever be the same physically again… She'd spent decades training her body to do things like move and fight. Her muscles used to have memories of their own in a way…they could remember movies and she could do them without even thinking about them. If her muscle memory was gone then eighty seven years of training had been wasted.

Finally, when it seemed like there was nothing more for her to recall, she heard Elrond speak. She now knew who he was again, and thinking about him didn't hurt her head.

"Alright Legolas. This is it." Arianna felt Legolas pull his hand from hers and wondered what was going on. She felt him kiss her gently and whisper that he loved her. Then three drops of liquid fell onto her forehead. She felt a rush of sudden energy and knew that she'd now be able to move on her own instinctively. Her eyes shot open first thing, wanting to see where she was. She turned her head to look about the room, feeling her neck crack. It was Legolas who she saw first…and he was laying on the floor looking even paler than usual.

"Legolas!" she shrieked, as she rolled from the stone table where'd been lying this entire time. She groaned as her bones popped into joint again, but didn't stop to wait for it. She knelt at the elf's side, taking his hand in her own. His pulse was faint…but it was there. She looked up and saw Elrond standing at one end of an oval of chanters, looking more exhausted than she had ever before seen. "What's wrong with him?"

"He is losing his immortality."

"But he's not-"

"He's not dying." Elrond was quick to reassure her, as he went to sit down on the stone dais. "He was willing to sacrifice his immortality to bring you back." Arianna sat the rest of the way down to the floor, laying a hand on Legolas's chest.

"How-?"

"It's an ancient spell. One which I have not felt the need to attempt ever before this."

"Then why now? Why me?"

"You…my dear Arianna, are too important to lose. That, and your spirit was here, even days after your death. A part of you wasn't ready to leave."

"But…I had made my peace…I said my goodbyes." Arianna said in confusion.

"Then maybe it was Legolas's need for you which kept you nearby." He shook his head as Arianna's mouth opened, knowing she had more questions. "I do not have all the answers Firefly. All I know is that you are here now, and that you must be needed here for a reason. It is up to you to find out what that reason is."

Arianna stared at him for a moment, vivid memories of him from even her early childhood flashing through her mind. She hoped that would fade after a time…it was giving her headache to remember everything about a person every time she looked at them. Finally she nodded.

"For now…I'd like to get Legolas somewhere he can rest. And you should do the same Uncle, you look half dead yourself." She teased him as she helped him to his feet. For some reason the knowledge that she'd been dead made it easy to joke about. Elrond nodded to the circle of elves and they gratefully left their positions, leaving through the large doors at the end of the room. Arianna followed them to see where she was exactly.

"The Silent Street?" she asked Elrond who followed her outside. "What am I doing here?"

"You were dead. They were just making preparations for your burial."

"Oh…right…"

"Forget already?" he asked in a slightly teasing voice.

"Well being so very alive does tend to scramble one's brain a bit." She pointed out. She noticed a guard at the end of the road and waved for him to come over. He did so, stopping short as he realized who she was.

"Don't dawdle, I need your help!" Arianna told him. The man looked at Elrond, unsure if he was seeing a ghost or not. Elrond just chuckled and nodded, walking slowly back towards the city itself. The guard came forward, still looking nervous. "My friend needs to be carried to his room, and I can't lift him by myself." Arianna explained, leading him inside. He followed hesitantly and she gave him a look. "Oh come now, if I wanted to trap you or something I wouldn't be so obvious about it. I'm not dead, I just need some help."

Though it took a lot of cajoling and coaxing, the guard finally helped her to carry Legolas to his room. Arianna smiled at the stares she was getting. Here she was, yet again, coming back to life and surprising people. This was becoming a very bad habit. The guard left the moment Legolas was safely laid upon his bed; he still seemed to think she was some sort of evil spirit or something.

Arianna sighed as she looked at Legolas, unconscious on the bed. He'd given up his very life for her in a way…the right of his people. He'd let it go in order to have her back. The very thought of it brought tears to her eyes. He loved her that much… she smiled softly and pulled off his boots, sliding him into the bed and pulling the covers up over his shivering body. She sat beside him for a time, watching him sleep. Finally she decided it was time go find the others, and kissed him gently on the forehead before standing to leave.

Marina sat with Pippin, Frodo and Sam, all of them munching on dessert. Gimli was snoring in a chair by the large fireplace, and Gandalf was staring at the wall. Aragorn was sitting at a large desk, scribbling furiously on his parchment. Frodo and Marina hadn't told any of the others the things they'd witnessed over on the Silent Street. They'd discussed it on the way to their quarters and decided that it was better to not get everyone's hopes up. Especially as Elrond's spell may not work.

Instead they'd all had a wonderful supper, and had retired to the common room area they'd been given. It was here where they spent a lot of their free time, and their bedrooms all led off from the hallway just outside the main room. They'd even been given their own dining area, seeing as the hobbits all preferred to eat more meals throughout the course of the day. When the door opened, Gimli twitched awake and turned to the doorway. They were all expecting Legolas, seeing as he was the only one not there.

"About time you got here Princeling, you missed a good sup-." When he stopped mid word, everyone turned to look at him, then at the person standing in the doorway.

"I missed supper? Oh dear, I'll have to go by the kitchens then. I'm starving." Arianna said cheerfully. The first to react was Erynion, who woke from his nap on Gimli's head, saw her, and shot over to her. He landed clumsily on her shoulder, mooting happily as he rubbed against her face almost like a cat.

"It worked!" Marina suddenly shouted, racing across the room to throw her arms around Arianna's waist. "Frodo and I weren't sure if it really would!" Frodo was coming over next, though at a calmer pace. Arianna smiled at him, happy to see that he was alright. She gave him a one armed hug as she looked around at the wide eyes on the faces of everyone else in the room.

"I've done this so many times I'd think most of you would be used to it by now." She said with a grin. Sam and Pippin were the first to gain their functions back, and came over for hugs as well. Gimli stood and stomped over glaring at her. His lecture was almost ten minutes long, all on how she needed to stop dying and worrying them all half to death. Arianna finally silenced him with a kiss on the cheek.

"I'm glad to know I was missed." She told him. Aragorn came over next, and he swept her into a hug which made it hard to breathe. "You know, being alive again, I find I really enjoy breathing." She said in a strangled voice. "And you're not making that an easy task." He let her go only to pick her up and swing her around in circles a moment later. She laughed merrily as he set her down again and he gave her a stern look.

"Don't you _ever _do that again." He ordered her. She smiled cheekily up at him.

"Well now you know how I felt when you disappeared all those years ago."

"Exactly. And I don't like it. So don't do it again." She patted him on the shoulder.

"I won't if you won't." Now Gandalf came over and she gave him a small smile. She put out a hand for him to shake but he ignored it, enveloping her into a short, but strong hug.

Finally, Arianna brushed away all the hugs and well wishing. "Alright alright, stop it." She told them, trying to hide the happy tears which filled her eyes. "I'm back now; let us not make a big deal out of it." Pippin laughed.

"There's not much chance of that happening, everyone in the city believes that you're dead." Arianna groaned and leaned on the back of a large squishy chair.

"Well, I'll simply have to go around and convince them that I'm otherwise." She said with a sigh. "But that is a task for tomorrow, I think I'm going to go to bed for now."

"Tired already?" Marina asked in surprise.

"I've only been alive for a few hours, it's rather exhausting." Arianna said with a grin. She stood and made her way to her rooms, waving a goodnight as she left. When she shut the bedroom door she leaned against it, sinking to the floor and cradling her head in her hands. She wished she hadn't done that…every single one of them had made a barrage of memories attack her mind. And doing it over and over again all in a row had made it hard to concentrate on anything else. Her head was pounding and she wasn't sure if she could stand up again. Instead, she simply crawled her way across the floor, shedding her clothing as she went. She made it to her bed and crawled up onto it, slipping on the too-large red shirt she was used to sleeping in. Finally she gently lay down, her head sinking into the wonderfully cool pillows. She sighed happily, and was asleep in moments.

* * *

Legolas had been awake for a while now, but he had yet to open his eyes. He'd had the most wonderful dream…Elrond had come and had a spell which could bring Arianna back to life. Legolas didn't want the dream to end, the possibility of having her back was so much better than facing another day without her.

He heard his door open and close softly, gentle footsteps making their way about his room. He opened an eye to see who it was. A woman wearing a simple white shirt and vest over leggings was there…that was what Arianna liked to wear. For some reason the sight of someone else wearing the outfit made his heart ache. She seemed to be cleaning the room, straightening things up…did she not realize he was in the room?

"Excuse me-" she jumped and spun, a hand on her heart.

"Legolas! Don't do that, you scared me!" Legolas's eyes were wide.

"Arianna?"

"That would be my name, yes." She said to him with a smirk. "You know you should warn a person that you're awake. Opening your eyes works wonders." Legolas sat up, looking her up and down. Had it not been a dream? Arianna flushed a bit under his gaze. "What?" He didn't answer, simply rose from the bed and walked over to her. She looked up at him, a hint of worry in her eyes.

"Legolas, are you alright?" He brushed a hand down her cheek, wanting to be sure she was real. She smiled and leaned into his touch, closing her eyes. Without warning, he slipped the hand behind her neck and pulled her lips to his. Without hesitation, her arms slipped around his neck, pulling him closer. Only a distinct lack of air made them part lips, and even then it was only long enough for them to catch their breath.

When they finally pulled away, both had tears in their eyes and were struggling to keep them contained. Arianna was the first to let one fall, and Legolas brushed it away with a gentle hand, pulling her into a long and tender kiss. She pulled away again to look in his eyes, only to bury her face in his neck. He pulled her close, his nose buried in her hair. It smelled like her…a mix of metal, leather, and vanilla. Nothing could imitate that.

"Gods I missed you." He whispered into her hair. She gripped harder at him in response.

"You brought me back…"

"It wasn't me really, it was mostly Elrond and-"

"No…it was you. When the spell first started it was…it was so painful. I only wanted it to end; I wanted to be left alone. But you…you were there, talking to me. And when you took my hand, I remembered what it was like to love you. And I knew all the pain in the world would be worth it if I meant I could have you back." She pulled away, looking him in the eye. "Legolas…did you really give up your immortality?" he smiled and nodded, leaning his forehead against hers.

"I did. I will now age at about the same pace as you and Aragorn…not quite as quickly as mortals, but I will age over time."

"Promise me something." She said suddenly and he smiled down at her.

"Anything."

"That we'll die together, old and covered in wrinkles, a very long time from now." Legolas chuckled and kissed her again.

"I can't make any guarantees, you know as well as I do that things happen."

"I know…but that can be our goal. The thing we'll strive to achieve."

"Alright, I promise." He whispered and Arianna smiled happily. Her eyes went wide when he pulled something out of his pocket. It was a ring, silver and gold twisted around each other, with three tiny emeralds set into the band. "And this I the best way I know to make that promise."

"You…" she breathed, unable to think of anything to say.

"Arianna…will you make me the happiest person in Middle Earth and agree to be my wife?" Arianna looked up at him, tears in her eyes.

"Absolutely." She said, a smile spreading across her face. He smiled softly down at her kissing her lips softly again. He pulled away and slid the ring onto her finger, where it settled perfectly. She bit her lower lip and looked into his eyes, knowing her own were probably sparkling just as much as his were right now. She threw her arms around his neck and he clutched her close, their kiss growing more passionate with each passing moment.

They didn't leave his room for a long time after that.

* * *

_Wow, I updated on thursday, and at a decent hour! Kind of...at least it's not 2 in the morning on friday :P_

_If any of you are Treasure Planet fans, please take a loot at my Treasure Planet story. I'm finally reposting the sequel to it ^^_

_I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please review!_

_Your humble Authoress,_

_Whisperwings_


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"Hurry up, we're going to be late!" Marina exclaimed from behind the screen. She was getting dressed as quickly as she could. Pippin chuckled from where he stood in front of the mirror, trying to put some order to his curls.

"You're the one who's being slow Mari, we're waiting on you."

"Oh hush." She said, though he could hear the smile on her voice. She emerged from behind the screen, dressed in a simple outfit much like her clothing back at the shire. A loose rose red shirt over a skirt of a darker red, a cinch belt around her waist to define her figure. She came to stand beside him at the mirror, gasping at her own messy hair. Pippin chuckled as she grabbed her brush and quickly went through it, turning the frizzy tangle into soft shining curls. As she set it down, Pippin took over, pulling the front sections of her hair back and tying them with a ribbon. By the time he was done, Marina's cheeks were pink, but a smile was on her face.

"Thank you. I have difficulties with tying ribbons…" Pippin chuckled.

"I know, I've seen the ones you've tied on your own, remember?" she stuck her tongue out at him in the mirror and he only offered a cheeky smile. "But we're late, come on!" he grabbed her hand, pulling to her feet and out the door, leading her through the hallways. Marina let him lead her; partly because she still hadn't figured out the maze of a city yet, and partly because she was enjoying the excuse to hold his hand. Finally they arrived at the upper courtyard of the city, overflowing with people who'd come to witness the coronation of their new king.

"How are we ever going to find the others in this?" Marina asked, her grip on Pippin's hand tightening a bit. It was quite a crowd, and being a hobbit she felt particularly small and helpless.

"They're not too far from the tree…let's go there first." He didn't wait for her to agree, simply pulled her forward and they plunged into the sea of people.

* * *

Arianna was standing at the base of the stairs, tugging at her dress. It was a lovely thing of silver threads, flowing much like water and it felt just as cool against her skin. But it was much more form fitting than the things she's previously worn, and she wasn't sure she liked the way some of the men in the crowd were looking at her. She wished faintly that Legolas was here…a wish she'd been repeating quite often these past few days. If he was here, then men wouldn't bother to look at her as if she was a plaything. But he wasn't here.

A few days previously, Legolas had been forced to leave for an errand he couldn't explain, not even her. He'd almost begged her not to ask, because he didn't want to have to lie. She'd honored his wishes, though she was burning with curiosity. What errand could he possibly have that would take him away from Minas Tirith so soon before her brother's coronation?

She'd never realized just how much it was possible to miss someone until they took off. It had been over a week…he should have been back by now. He couldn't miss the biggest day in the world of men, and she couldn't stand him being away.

"Stop twitching, you look fine." Gimli said with a chuckle. Erynion sat on his shoulder, seemingly able to tell that Arianna was dressed too finely to perch upon her's.

"That is much easier for you to say, you aren't trapped in a dress."

"Thankfully no." he said and Arianna had to laugh. "You just stand there and look pretty, you'll be fine."

"And you make sure not to drop the crown." She teased right back. She looked out at the crowd and noticed Marina and Pippin near the White Tree, looking about. She saw them spot Frodo and Sam, only a short way away and join their friends. She smiled happily, glad that their small friends had come. Not that she'd expected anything else of course, but Aragorn was planning on honoring them during the ceremony, and she knew they'd be more comfortable if they were all together.

Finally Gandalf came outside, and held up his hands. In his brilliantly white robes he drew everyone's eye and the crowd fell silent almost instantly. Everyone turned in a single fluid motion towards the staircase on the opposite side of the White Tree. In the past few weeks the tree had grown some of the most beautiful blossoms anyone had ever seen, and now they shivered in the breeze as Aragorn appeared on the stairs. He strode through the crowd which parted to let him through. These were his last steps among the people before he became king; it was a very symbolic moment and very moving. More than one bouquet of flowers was tossed into his path, creating a carpet of fragrant blossoms.

Finally Aragorn made it to the stairs before Gandalf and he knelt at the very top. Gimli and Arianna followed him to the top of the stairs as they'd been instructed and stood on either side of him. Gandalf took the crown from the pillow Gimli held and raised it dramatically over Aragorn's head. Arianna felt her breath hitch in her throat, never had she been more proud than she was at this very moment. Happy tears swam in her eyes and her smile shone brightly. Gandalf lowered the crown slowly, placing it on Aragorn's brow and stepping back.

"Now come the days of the king. May they be blessed." The wizard said aloud. Aragorn's somber face cracked into a smile, looking between his sister and his two good friends. He stood and turned to face the crowd, Gimli and Gandalf on one side and Arianna on the other.

"This day does not belong to one man but to all. Let us together rebuild this world… that we may share in the days of peace." Aragorn said to his people. The crowd cheered happily, they had a king again! Slowly, they fell silent once more as Aragorn launched into a lovely elvish song. As he sang, the blossoms on the White tree of Gondor started to pull loose, falling like a summer snowfall. The song ended, leaving everyone in the city cloaked in a peaceful hush. Finally, Aragorn made his way back down the stairs, now going to walk among his people as their king. Arianna followed him, as it was her part in the ceremony. She didn't mind, especially now that the attention was focused on her brother. She would simply be a silver clad shadow for a time.

As they walked along, their dearest friends came forward to pay their respects to the new king. Arianna happily noticed Èowyn standing beside Faramir. Arianna smiled knowingly at them, noticing them turn the same shade of pink. They were a lovely couple, and Arianna was nothing but happy that Èowyn had found someone to love her as much as Faramir obviously did. Then, on their left, Èomer stepped forward. He was now the King of Rohan, and he looked every inch the part. He bowed to Aragorn, recognizing his new role as the King of Gondor. Arianna knew that there would no longer be tension between the two nations as there had been previously. There are some things people cannot go through together without earning respect for each other, and war was one of them. Over the past few weeks, Èomer and Aragorn had become good friends.

Elrond was the next to come forward, leading a group of elves in his wake. He bowed to Aragorn and stepped to the side, showing two people who made both Aragorn and Arianna gasp. Legolas and Arwen! Aragorn stepped forward as if in a daze, Arwen doing the same. She carried a banner of the White Tree of Gondor, and Aragorn took it and handed it to a random person in the audience. He then reached forward and pulled Arwen gently to him, leaning down to kiss her softly.

Arianna was happy for her brother and her adopted sister, but she was far too distracted by Legolas to pay much attention. As Aragorn and Arwen embraced happily she could only stare at Legolas with eyes full of happiness. He stared right back, looking as if he would gladly bolt forwards and kiss the breath right from her. The sound of Aragorn's chuckle and Arwen's soft giggle made Arianna finally tear her gaze away to look at them.

"What?" she asked in a whisper. Aragorn just chuckled again and nodded in Legolas's direction.

"Oh go on Firefly." Aragorn said. She beamed at him and dashed towards Legolas, and he swept her up into a hug as soon as she reached him. He spun her around in a circle, set her down, and leaned down to press his lips to hers. Arianna could hear the crowd cheering, but she was too busy clutching at Legolas to keep from melting to the ground. She was certain her knees would be unable to support her if he let go. Thankfully he didn't, only hugging her close and burying his face in her hair. She was the one to finally pull away, looking him in the eye as she ran her fingers down his face. He kissed her softly once more and she sighed happily into the kiss.

Finally they were able to control themselves and meekly fell into place behind Aragorn and Arwen. It was perfectly obvious to anyone watching them that they weren't planning on parting any time soon. Arianna's arm was linked with Legolas's, but her other hand rested on his arm as well. Legolas's free hand rested lightly on her fingers, soon lacing hers with his own.

* * *

Marina clapped happily when she saw Legolas and Arianna kiss. The woman had been rather distant ever since he'd gone, Marina was glad he was back. They were so happy together! Suddenly she realized that the new King of Gondor and those following him were standing right in front of the four hobbits. Frodo was the first to bow and the rest of them followed suit, feeling a bit awkward. Marina struggled to keep from falling over mid-curtsy.

Aragorn however shook his head, looking at them fondly. "My friends! You bow to no one." He insisted. He knelt to the ground, Arwen doing the same. Slowly, everyone else followed their king's example, kneeling to the four hobbits. Marina's eyes were wide, and she took Pippin's hand.

"They…they're bowing to us Pip!" she exclaimed in a whisper. He looked over at her with a smile and squeezed her hand comfortingly. Aragorn stood, and the others got back to their feet as well. Marina sighed in relief; she didn't like how awkward it had been to just stand there for so long. Arianna came forward, giving them all hugs as the crowd began to disperse. Today had been a welcome break from the work around the city, and now everyone was off to enjoy a wonderful feast.

Marina was last and Arianna knelt down to her level. Marina smiled at her happily, her eyes sparkling with the magic of the ceremony. "Well Mari, it's over." Arianna said.

"For now at least." Marina pointed out. They'd had multiple conversations about this over the past week. They were planning on visiting each other as often as possible. Arianna chuckled and nodded.

"Very true." She hugged Marina tightly, whispering "I'm going to miss you most of all I think. You're a lot like me." Marina pulled away in confusion.

"Like you?" Arianna nodded.

"You don't let being a female get in the way of what needs to be done, you're not afraid to fight, and you live with a bunch of men." She finished with a teasing note to keep the mood from getting to serious. Marina giggled in response.

"I suppose that is rather true isn't it?" Marina said with a smile. Arianna stood with a chuckle and Marina noticed something glinting on her finger.

"Arianna…is that…?" Arianna blushed a bit and allowed Marina to inspect the ring. "It is! An engagement ring!" Aragorn, who'd been walking away, turned quickly.

"What?" Arianna blushed a deeper red and held up her hand so everyone could see the band encircling her ring finger. "When was this?"

"Um…a few weeks ago?" Arianna said weakly.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Marina asked, clapping her hands in happiness. Arianna looked at Legolas, who was failing to hold back his smile.

"I wanted to…keep it a secret for a while. Savor it I suppose." Arianna finally said.

"Well, whatever the reason, I'm so happy for you!" Marina exclaimed hugging her around the waist. Arianna chuckled as the other hobbits came to do the same. "When is the wedding?"

"Um…" Arianna looked at Legolas again who shrugged. They hadn't really talked about it yet…they'd kept getting distracted. "We haven't really discussed the details yet." She said diplomatically. Marina giggled.

"That may be something you want to figure out if you ever want to actually get married you know."

"Well if you're offering your help, we'll gladly take it." Arianna told her. Marina nodded and Legolas grimaced. If Marina was there they wouldn't be able to…move on to other activities. Which he knew was Arianna's goal, but it wasn't nearly as much fun. As Marina and Arianna went inside to discuss wedding related things, Pippin chuckled.

"Mari's certainly excited about this."

"Of course she is, what did you expect?" Frodo pointed out.

"Nothing less." Pippin admitted. "She loves planning parties and things; she had a heyday at Bilbo's birthday party."

"I know…do you realize that was about a year ago?" Sam said as they made their way back to their rooms.

"A whole year? It doesn't feel like it's been that long. yet…at the same time it feels like it's been longer." Pippin said.

"I'd say longer." Frodo said.

"What if Rosie's gotten married since we left?" Sam suddenly asked in a near panic. Though Pippin and Frodo knew it was a definite possibility, they hurried to assure Sam that she was probably still unattached. In order to distract him, they went off to find the nearest feast, chatting about other things as they went.

* * *

Arianna flopped onto the bed with a groan. Legolas rolled over, blinking bleary eyes at her.

"Back so soon?" he asked sarcastically and Arianna glared at him. She'd been doing plans for the wedding for weeks now, and it felt like it had taken over her entire life. Even now as she shut her eyes, sketches of dresses and fabric patterns flowed through her mind.

"I'm going to lose my mind before this is over, I just know it." She said in a tired voice. Legolas pulled her close, not caring that her hair was still damp from a bath.

"You need some time off." He told her. Arianna snorted.

"I can't take time off, there's too much to do!"

"Like what?"

"Let's just say if I tell you what there is left that needs to be done, we'll be up all night." Legolas chuckled and kissed her earlobe.

"We might just be up all night in any case." He whispered with a smile. Arianna grinned herself, rolling onto her side to look him in the eye.

"I thought you said I needed to relax?"

"I never said anything about relaxing; I said you should take time off."

"Ah, I see. So…in taking time off, what exactly did you have in mind that I do to keep busy?" The answer he gave did not involve many spoken words.

* * *

Arianna finished the final touches on her hair, and had to admire herself in the mirror. She and Legolas had agreed that it was too difficult to choose between a traditional elvish wedding and one of Gondor, and so they were doing a kind of combination of the two. Traditional Elvish weddings had a feast, where the bride's mother and the groom's father would call upon Manwë and Varda to bless the marriage. It was a nice simple ceremony, one which Arianna would have been perfectly happy with. Aragorn wanted to have something more formal for his twin though, so they were involving a fancier ceremony, one which Gandalf would preside over instead. This actually worked out rather well, seeing as Arianna's mother had been dead for years and wouldn't be able to attend.

The problem with the fancier ceremony was that many people wanted to come. And Arianna and Legolas were having troubles saying no to those wanted to attend. Aragorn and Arwen's wedding had been far more popular of course, to the point that they'd invited enough people to fill the upper courtyard once again. The ceremony had been lovely and romantic, but much too large for Arianna's tastes. The difficulty Legolas and Arianna had discovered with having their own wedding so soon after her brother's was that many of their guests had stayed in the hopes of attending two large weddings.

They would be disappointed. Arianna and Legolas had refused to have a large ceremony, only inviting their closest friends and family. It would have possibly fifty guests, if they were all able to attend.

And so now Arianna sat in front of her mirror, staring at herself. She was going to be a married woman soon…it was impossible for her to believe. Only a year ago, she had been convinced that she was going to live a life of solitude, and was perfectly fine with it. How silly she had been… Now that she knew what it was like to be in love she didn't think she could live happily without it. She looked at herself, really looked, for the first time in months.

Her eyes were still the same forest green, though they shone with joy at the moment. Her hair had grown over the past year and now hung in gentle waves down to her waist. Rather than her typical braid she'd been letting it hang loose a lot lately. She knew Legolas loved her hair, and she liked the way his eyes shown when he saw her with it loose.

The door behind her opened, and Arianna looked in the mirror to see Èowyn and Marina entering the room. She turned and smiled at them, though she was beyond nervous at this point. Marina saw right through it.

"Oh Ari, there's no need to worry!" she said as she gave her a hug. "Things are going to be wonderful! And you don't have to worry about a bunch of strangers milling about aimlessly the way Aragorn and Arwen did."

"It was impossible for most of them to see anything, what was the point?" Èowyn asked, sitting down on the bed.

"The point was being able to say they attended the biggest wedding of the age." Arianna pointed out. "They'll never tell anyone they couldn't get near enough to even see the King and his new wife."

"Well, this wedding will be much better in my opinion." Marina said, turning Arianna down so she could brush her hair. "More…personal."

"So are you looking forward to the wedding night?" Èowyn asked, a mischievous look on her face. Arianna glared at her in the mirror, her cheeks turning a deep pink. Marina was blushing herself.

"Haven't…haven't you already…?" Arianna shook her head.

"No, no we haven't."

"But you haven't slept in your own room for days on end!" Marina pointed out, and Arianna had to chuckle.

"I know, and I was in Legolas's room. But we just slept, nothing more."

"Oh…" Arianna could tell she was curious as to why and smiled again.

"For the elves, the true marriage _is_ the wedding night. The ceremony beforehand doesn't have to happen, it's just…a showing of the union between the two people getting married. But it's only a ceremony. The real marriage is what comes later."

"Oh!" Marina exclaimed, her cheeks pink once more. "That…that makes a lot of sense actually."

"I always thought so too." A knock on the door came, and Gimli's voice floated through.

"Everyone is ready for you lass." Arianna stood and shook out her dress, and went to open the door.

"I suppose I'm ready then." Gimli eyes were over bright as he looked her over. "Gimli? Is everything alright?"

"You look lovely Arianna. Just want you to know that." Arianna smiled and leaned down to kiss him on the cheek.

"Thank you." She whispered. She hitched up her dress and practically ran down the hall. "Come on all of you, I have a groom to catch!"

* * *

_I'm late, but I didn't really want to post my updates on Christmas Eve, so I made you wait :P_

_Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, please review!!_

_I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! Happy Holidays!!_

_Your humble authoress,_

_Whisperwings_


	14. Chapter 14

_I know I know, two chapters right in a row?! I am a lovely person, aren't I? XD I'm simply still in the holiday spirit and felt lie giving you all a bonus!_

_That and I know a certain someone who's dying to read about the wedding, you know who you are :P_

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Chapter 14

Legolas twitched, the only sign he was nervous. Anyone but his close friends would have no idea just how unsettled he was. Unfortunately, the only people here knew him well enough to recognize his discomfort. They were exchanging knowing smiles while he stood at the head of the room trying to keep still.

Suddenly a hush went over the small crowd and Legolas felt his breath leave his body, his nervousness fading away as Arianna came into the room. Suddenly, nothing else mattered as he watched her come near. Her dress was simple, just the way he'd guessed it would be. It hugged her curves, the plain silk trailing down with only a hint of a train. But it was her face that drew his attention. Her green eyes sparkled and shown, her smile trying to twitch onto her face as she tried to remain solemn, and her cheeks had just the barest hit of pink to them. She'd never looked more beautiful, now that she was almost his.

Arianna reached the dais and stared deep into brilliant blue eyes, and Legolas smiled back at her. They stood facing one another, Gandalf on one side and other friends and family on the other. Neither of them noticed though. Today was about the two of them, and they only had eyes for each other. Seeing as their wedding was a strange one, they'd taken complete control and written their own vows. Neither of them had heard what the other had to say yet, and Arianna was trembling with nervous excitement as Gandalf gave the elf leave to speak.

"My dearest Arianna. I'm…not sure when I first realized my feelings for you. I'm not even sure if there was an exact moment when it happened. But now, I find that none of it matters." Legolas said, his blue eyes sparkling down at her. "For today, you will become mine and I will become yours, and we will never have to be parted from one another again. I take your hand this day to swear that I will always be here to love you and protect you, and that no matter what happens this will always be true." Arianna smiled happily, her eyes filled with tears as she spoke, shy for the first time in her life.

"Legolas, I take your hand this day to prove to you one thing and one thing only. I love you. At one time, we were rivals of a sort, we annoyed each other to no end. And…well, some things never change." She said with a smirk, hearing a quiet chuckle sweep through the audience. "But today, we're crossing a line which will change things. And for the better. From now on, we're partners in everything we do. We will always have someone to help lift a burden, we will always have a shoulder to cry on. And we will always, _always_ love one another." A happy tear rolled down her cheek as she looked up at him and Legolas had to force himself to keep from leaning forward to kiss her right then and there. "Legolas…you showed me who I am. You opened a door which I will never close and showed me a whole world I never dreamed of finding. I promise you that from this day forward, we will belong to each other and no one else. I will love you always and forever."

Gandalf took one look at Legolas's face and smiled, knowing it was time to speed things up a bit. "Legolas, do you take this woman's hand willingly? Do you promise to be with her through good times and bad, to love her and stay by her side no matter what comes to you in this life?"

Legolas smiled down at Arianna, his eyes swimming with unshed tears. "I do." He whispered. The two words filled Arianna's heart until she was sure it was overflowing. Gandalf turned to Arianna next, repeating the question he'd asked of Legolas.

Arianna looked into those wonderful blue eyes and felt her own overflow with happy tears. "I do." A smile burst across Legolas's face as he lost control of his solemn attitude, happiness sweeping all sense of propriety away. Arianna was the only one who'd ever been able to do that, and hearing two tiny words filled with such emotion made it happen once more. Gandalf was almost laughing in happy amusement as he watched the two of them.

"Then you may now seal the marriage with a kiss." He said, stepping back from them. Legolas didn't hesitate, reaching forward and hooking a hand behind Arianna's neck, capturing her lips with his own. Arianna melted, her fingers clutching at the fabric of his shirt as his other arm slid around her back to pull her closer. Neither noticed the cheering in the background.

The gathering after the ceremony was small by anyone's standards, especially for an elvish prince and the sister of the King. But no one minded. Legolas and Arianna were stationed on a small couch, as friends and family came by to give them congratulations and hugs. The longer they sat there though, the more twitchy Arianna got. Finally, when it seemed they'd talked to everyone more than once, Arianna leaned close to Legolas.

"Can we just…leave? No one will mind." She whispered. He looked down at her with shining eyes, taking her hand without a word as they left in silence. The journey though the silver city had never seemed to take so long. Finally Legolas pulled her into his room, closing the door and kissing her with an intensity which had been building since Gandalf had declared them to be married.

"Well, dear husband of mine…I think you and I have some important business to attend to." Arianna said when he pulled away, her green eyes a shade darker than usual. Legolas smiled and picked her up bridal style, carrying her to the bed where he sat down. Arianna happily curled in his lap as they kissed again, Legolas's fingers already unlacing the strings on the back of her dress.

"I do believe you're right Firefly." He whispered against her lips as he pulled the string free, his fingers wandering along her bare back as the silk slipped away. "I do believe you're right."

* * *

Marina sniffed, wiping her eyes as she packed up her things. She couldn't believe it was time to say goodbye. She'd been with her new friends for over a year now. After all they'd been through together, it was harder to say goodbye to them than it had been to say goodbye to the Shire. Pippin was sorting through his own clothing which he'd spread out on his bed. He didn't seem to be trying very hard to get his packing done. He didn't want to leave any more than she did. The sound of her trying to keep from crying was breaking his heart.

"Mari…" he said softly, not knowing what he was going to say.

"I know Pip…I don't want to leave either." She said without him having to say a thing. She walked out to the balcony of their room, resting her arms on the railing as she surveyed the city.

It was still grey, but it no longer felt colorless to her. In the past few weeks everyone had been working hard to clean the place up. The bits of the city which had been destroyed were in the process of being rebuilt, and the debris had been swept out of sight. The very city walls had been cleaned of dirt and grime, and now they shone in the light of the sunset. The city no longer felt like a grey shadow of its former glory. It was once more the silver city in the mountain, a beacon of hope for the new age. And Marina loved it. As Pippin came up to the railing beside her, she worked to put her feelings into words.

"I don't feel small anymore Pippin. When we first left the shire all those months ago…I felt like the world was simply too big for us. Or we were too small for the world. Either way, we didn't fit. But now…"

"Now the world has accepted us for who we are. We've found our place here." Pippin offered.

"Yes! Exactly!" she turned around and sat on the floor of the balcony, Pippin sliding down beside her. "The Shire seems like such a small place now. Such a tiny part of the world. And so cut off! I don't know if I'll be able to go back to the way things were…"

"We won't be able to." Pippin said shortly. Marina looked at him with sad eyes and he offered a supportive smile. "But that's a good thing. We've changed over the past year Mari, we all have. We'll never be able to go back to exactly the same life as before. But think of all we've gained in exchange! We have friends everywhere, and reasons to travel. We won't have to settle down and live the way the other hobbits will. We can stay different. And that's alright." Marina chuckled sadly.

"It won't be alright with everyone else. You remember how everyone talked about Bilbo after he went on his adventure."

"Yes, but they already think the two of us are too wild for hobbits. The rumors about us can't get much worse."

"I suppose that's true… Oh Pippin, we haven't pulled any pranks on anyone in ages!" Pippin laughed.

"Things have been getting a bit too serious around here haven't they?"

"I'm up for an excuse to put off packing, how about you?" Marina asked him, her eyes sparkling with mischief. Pippin stood and offered her a hand. She took it and he pulled her to her feet.

"I can't think of anything better."

* * *

A few hours later, Marina dashed into their room, slamming the door behind her. Shortly after that Faramir arrived and pounded on the other side.

"Marina Brandybuck, you open the door this instant!"

"Are you mad? Why would I ever _let_ you in?!" she yelled back. She looked over as Pippin climbed up onto the balcony. He was panting, but laughing hysterically at the same time. She was amazed he'd been able to climb up without being seen.

"Mari, why is there a soaking wet man pounding on our door?" he asked between gasps.

"Well…he's the one that walked under the bucket, it's not my fault he did so." She said primly. She heard footsteps through the door as someone else arrived.

"Excuse me Faramir, I have a young hobbit to kill in the most painful way imaginable." Aragorn's voice said, then he chuckled. "What on earth happened to you?"

"A different young hobbit is what happened to me. Why? What did Pippin do to you?"

"Well, unless thorn branches grow on thrones now…" Faramir had to chuckle, though he tried to bite it back.

"Let me guess…you sat on it."

"Well I wasn't exactly expecting there to be thorns on my seat!" Marina burst out laughing and Aragorn knocked on the door. "Marina?"

"Yes?" she said in an innocent voice.

"Is Pippin in there with you?"

"He might be…" she said evasively.

"Alright that's it, I'm knocking the door down." Marina squeaked and dashed away from the door, going out to the balcony.

"Quick!" she whispered to Pippin. "We can climb onto the balcony of Frodo and Sam's room and get out that way!" he nodded, smothering his laughter as he followed her over the railing and around the wall to the other balcony. The two of them slipped into the room and were just about to the door when Sam showed up.

"What are you two doing in here?"

"Um…hiding?" Marina said hesitantly.

"From what?"

"Well…Aragorn and Faramir." Pippin said, easing the door open to see if they were still out in the hall. Sam shook his head, deciding he didn't want to know.

"We'll be leaving soon, don't mind us." Marina assured him. "Oh! And…be careful when you go into your privy…"

"Why?" Sam asked as he curiously opened the door. A bucket of water which she'd balanced precariously on top fell right onto his head. As that happened, Marina charged from the room and down the hall away from Faramir and Aragorn, Pippin right on her heels. "Mari!!" Sam shouted, stumbling from the room. He lifted the bucket from his head and stepped out into the hall.

"She got you as well then?" Faramir asked as he and Aragorn came towards him. Marina didn't hear anymore, as she and Pippin got further away.

"How many doors did you rig like that?" Pippin asked her as they leaned against a wall to catch their breath.

"Well…pretty much all of them but our own." She admitted with a laugh and Pippin chuckled even as he shook his head.

"They're going to murder you…"

"Hey, I'm not the one who put thorns on the King's throne." She pointed out. Arianna's voice exclaimed in surprise a moment later.

"Mari! Pippin! I know that was one of you!" they heard her shout. The two of them took off running once more.

* * *

By the time Marina and Pippin were able to get back to their room, just about all the members of the fellowship had gotten soaked from one door or another. The games had only ended when Marina and Pippin went to hide in a room through a door which hadn't yet been opened, and the two of them got all wet themselves. Declaring a truce, everyone gathered for a warm supper and went off to finish preparing for their journey the next day. Marina and Pippin were forced to finish packing, but they fell asleep easily from their fun filled afternoon.

The next morning, Marina awoke with the sunrise, just as she had for months now. Her body had been trained to do so for so long she'd barely been able to sleep in past it. She wondered if that would change as they got home. With no reason to get up so early, she supposed she'd get out of the habit of doing so. Unless she made an effort to continue the pattern. Maybe she could actually start that garden she'd always wanted…it'd be a perfectly normal hobbit-like thing to do.

Suddenly, Marina had an overwhelming desire to do a lot of normal hobbit things. She wanted to fill her front yard with flowers and start a vegetable garden. She wanted to clean her house and decorate it. She wanted to plan birthday parties and join her friends for a drink at the Green Dragon.

She wanted to go home.

Marina hopped out of bed, and dressed behind the screen set up in the corner. She'd been offered a room of her own so that she wouldn't have to share with Pippin but she'd refused, not wanting to be alone in this large stone palace. She thought of how odd it would be to have her own house back once she got home…maybe she'd invite Pippin to come live with her. They were always at each other's houses anyway; there wasn't much point in living in two separate places.

"Wake up Pippin, we're leaving today, and we need to get some distance under our belts before we camp for the night!" Pippin groaned and rolled over and she giggled. "Besides, I thought you were the one who liked getting up early."

"I was, but that's before you went insane." He said with a yawn.

"I never _went_ insane! I've always been that way." She teased. It took a moment for the statement to reach Pippin's tired brain.

"Wait…what?" Marina burst into giggles again.

"Just get up!" Just as he was getting out of bed, Sam came into the room.

"Oh good, you're awake. We want to leave soon, better get ready!" he dashed out almost as quickly as he'd come and Pippin chuckled.

"Apparently you're not the only one eager to go home."

"Yes, but it's for entirely different reasons I'm sure." She pointed out.

"How so?"

"I want to see the Shire and my house and the Green Dragon and such. He's looking forward to seeing a certain lady."

"True enough." Pippin said as he finally grabbed his clothing and went to get dressed. As he disappeared behind the screen, Marina grabbed her bags and went out into the hall and down to the stables. Her pony was there, Èomer had let her keep it as a thank you for her services in the battle, as well as three others which Aragorn had given to them. Marina grinned and went to her small pony, patting her on the nose.

"You're going to come home with me, aren't you excited? Though you won't see many battles in the Shire. You're going to simply laze about and eat grass and get fat from boredom!" the pony whinnied happily and she laughed. "I suppose that must sound wonderful after the things you've seen. Well, you and me both. Though I assure you I'll be getting bored eventually. I'm going to have to make sure to ride you every day, otherwise you won't be able to carry me about Middle Earth to visit all my friends!"

"Which you had best be doing often." Arianna's voice said behind her. Marina turned and smiled at the Ranger turned Princess.

"I plan on doing it often m'lady."

"Oh stop that nonsense, I'm not a lady now anymore than I ever was."

"You've always been a Lady in my eyes." Marina told her honestly. "Even before I knew who you really were."

"Back when I was just a ranger named Strider you mean?"

"Exactly." Marina said with a chuckle. "You should leave your hair down more often, it looks nice." Two spots of pink appeared on Arianna's cheeks and Marina laughed. "Especially considering how much Legolas likes it."

"Is it that obvious?"

"It is." Marina said with an amused smile. "Everyone has noticed that you haven't put your hair up in weeks, and we've all seen how Legolas's eyes shine when he sees you with it down."

"Oh bother…" Arianna said as she sat down on a nearby crate, but her eyes were sparkling. Marina smiled at her.

"I hope someday I can find what you two have." She said softly, dropping her bags to the straw covered ground and getting the saddle. "It looks lovely."

"It is lovely. But I don't think you need to look very far."

"Oh please don't…" Marina said, tears filling her eyes. Pippin stopped short in the doorway of the stable and darted out of sight into a nearby stall. The horse inside opened one sleepy eye to look at him but thankfully made no other sign of noticing him. He settled down to listen, knowing this was probably a conversation Marina wouldn't want him to overhear and hating himself for doing it.

"What's wrong Mari?"

"It's not just you…both Frodo and Sam have been hounding me about it as well. No one understands!"

"What is there to misunderstand? Pippin loves you Mari."

"How do you know? Has he told you in those exact words?"

"Well…no, but it's obvious."

"It _seems_ obvious…but he hasn't said a thing to me. Arianna…he's my best friend in the whole world, and I'm not going to risk that friendship if he doesn't feel the same."

"But you do love him." Pippin held his breath.

"Oh Ari…I love him more than I've ever loved anything. But I'm not willing to sacrifice our friendship over it." Pippin struggled to keep from shouting in happiness. She loved him! Him! Of all the hobbits who would happily have given her their hearts, she'd fallen in love with him! She was quite mad, it was obvious. And he loved her for it all the more. He slipped out of the stable again and ran off, crashing head long into Frodo.

"She loves me!" Pippin exclaimed as he helped Frodo to his feet. Frodo chuckled, instantly knowing what he was talking about.

"Of course she does, we've been telling you that for weeks now."

"I know, but it's a lot more convincing when she says it." Frodo blanched.

"You talked to her about it?"

"Well…no. She was talking to Arianna. But she said it! She said she loved me!" Frodo shook his head in amused wonder.

"Well now you know, what are you going to do about it?"

"I…don't know…" Pippin said, finally slowing down enough to realize he had no idea what to do now.

"Well…considering she's not planning on doing a thing about it, it's up to you." Frodo said, clapping him on the shoulder with a wry grin. As he strode away, Pippin sank down onto the nearest bench. He was found there a few minutes later by Aragorn.

"What's wrong Peregrin Took?" he asked in a teasing voice, knowing how much Pippin hated it when Gandalf called him that.

"Aragorn…how did you first tell lady Arwen that you loved her?"

"Ah, having troubles with Miss Marina?" Pippin gaped.

"Does _everyone_ know?" Aragorn chuckled and nodded.

"Most of us saw it long ago, we've been wondering when the two of you would realize the truth."

"Well…I've realized said truth…and I have no idea what to do about it now."

"Tell her."

"Tell her? Just like that? It's not that simple!" Pippin exclaimed. Aragorn chuckled, standing again.

"No, it isn't. But this is something you need to figure out for yourself, young sir. Just be yourself, that's who she loves, isn't it?" he strolled away and Pippin watched him leave. Be himself? Himself was a coward and mischief maker…how was that going to help him any? He sighed. He supposed he'd just wait until the moment was right…it had to come along eventually, didn't it?

* * *

_Alright, that's it! No more holiday spirit! It's gone! If I update again before Thursday...it'll be boredom more than anything. I'm making myself wait though, since i'm still not quite finished with the story as a whole...so close though XD  
_

_Please review though, the vows were a sudden inspration, but i'm still worried about them. The pranks too...I'd love to know everyone's opinions! Mari's still clueless...Pippin's got it though. Woohoo!_

_Your Humble (and no longer so giving) Authoress,_

_Whisperwings  
_


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

As the four hobbits rode along the countryside, they realized how familiar the land about them looked. After all this time…they were almost most home! Despite their already hurried journey, they all felt the newfound energy from this realization and picked up the pace just the slightest bit. They'd decided before they even left that they would take Buckleberry Ferry back into the Shire. It only seemed fitting seeing as that was the way they'd left in the first place.

When they reached the river, they called and waved for the man on the dock on the other side to bring over the raft. It was Billy, a good friend of Mari and Pippin's, and he was very excited to see them after all this time. It had been over a year after all.

"Actually it's been thirteen months. To the day!" Frodo said with a smile. Marina gaped at him.

"Really? Thirteen months exactly?" He nodded at her and she giggled. "We are some very talented hobbits!"

"I should say so, look at how you're dressed!" Billy said, admiring their outfits. Marina looked down at herself and realized something. They were all wearing brand new, finely made clothing, cloaks of the best material, and more jewels than most hobbits saw in their lifetimes. It was still simple by Minas Tirith standards, but it was finer than the finest clothing in the world of the Halflings.

"Well..." she said, searching for an explanation that wouldn't honestly frighten her friend.

"Honestly, this is nothing. We have more jewels in our bags than Bilbo Baggins had hidden up in Baggend while he was living there!" Pippin boasted. Marina was about to argue when Frodo agreed. What were they doing? They were lying, and Marina had no idea why… When they landed and mounted up again, she found herself riding beside Frodo.

"Why didn't we tell the truth?" she asked him softly. Frodo gave her a wry look.

"Mari, look around you… The Shire is untouched, completely innocent… they have no idea that anything had happened out in the world over the past year. Imagine what would happen if we told young Billy the tale and he were to spread it about?"

"He'd…blow it entirely out of proportion…" Marina realized.

"And those he didn't frighten would simply turn around and start calling us trouble makers for spreading such horrible stories. No Mari…Pippin's idea was brilliant. Billy won't be sure whether or not to take him seriously, and he'll only end up telling people that we're home." Marina looked at Pippin, suddenly seeing him in a new light.

"Wow…I never thought…" Frodo chuckled.

"I never thought I'd live to see the day where Pippin was smarter than you." Marina stuck her tongue out at him, though her eyes were sparking. She settled back into the joy of riding through her home, it was bound to be a new kind of adventure.

They arrived at Baggend without attracting an overly large amount of attention. Thankfully, Marina realized. It would be terrible to try and find a decent explanation for their finery. The folk of Hobbiton would have pressed for answers in a way Billy hadn't. The four of them filed into the hobbit house, feeling as if there was no finer place in the world. For the first time in thirteen months, they were home.

They decided they'd all spend the night with Frodo at Baggend, so they could have time to adjust with the only other people in the world who knew what they were going through. Also, they all had plans to go to the Green Dragon that night and figured it'd be easiest to be able to have some place close to collapse after a night of the best ale in Middle Earth.

Marina went to the guest room Frodo had long ago given to her. The house was so large and it had just been him and his Uncle living there, they had more guest rooms than rooms in use. And since she was over visiting so often, they'd simply given her a room of her own. As such, she had a few outfits folded neatly in the dresser and a whole second set of drawing supplies in case she hadn't brought her own.

For a while, Marina just walked around the room, touching everything in it. The pillow was downy soft, unlike the saddle bag's she'd been using recently. An extra hairbrush sat on the small vanity in the room, strands of her own hair twined in the bristles. Her clothing still smelled of one of the sweet pea and cedar wood sachets her mother had made for her. It was all still so soft, as if she'd taken them off the line only yesterday. She grabbed one of the shirts and simply held it to her face, absorbing the smell and feel of it all.

"You alright?" Marina jumped a bit, turning to see Frodo in the doorway. She nodded, smiling reassuringly at him.

"I'm just…remembering." He sat down on the bed beside her.

"I know what you mean…I can't quite bring myself to go into Bilbo's study. I feel like it's still waiting for him."

"It's been yours for a while." Marina pointed out. Frodo nodded, falling backwards on the bed.

"I know…but it didn't feel like it was mine then either." Marina flopped back beside him.

"Well you could always move to a different house."

"No…Bilbo left Baggend to me for a reason. There has always been a-"

"Baggins under the Hill, and there always will be." They said together with a laugh. Marina turned her head to look at him with a smile.

"I'm glad he left it to you…you'll truly appreciate it I think." She said softly. Frodo grinned at her.

"And it's close to the Green Dragon and you can stay here whenever you like?" Marina only giggled happily.

"That too. Speaking of which, we should get changed so we can go!" She stood and shooed him from the room with a laugh, and turned to get ready. A few hours later it was almost sunset and Marina was standing in the front hall, waiting for the others.

"Oh come on you lot! I'm the only girl here, yet I'm the first one done, there seems to be something wrong with this picture!" She heard a laugh come from Pippin's room as he came out into the hall, fixing his shirt and holding his scarf.

"Sure sure missy, it's not like we're going to be late or anything." Marina grinned at him, grabbing the scarf and wrapping it around his neck.

"We'll be late for our own welcome home party! By now the world will have spread that we're back, and I'm sure there will be a good number of people willing to buy us drinks." She pointed out and Pippin smiled dreamily.

"Oh that does sound heavenly… Frodo! Sam! Hurry up!" Marina burst into giggles and turned him back to face her.

"Hold still for a second!" She knotted the scarf, not realizing how close her face was to his. Pippin noticed though, his eyes softening slightly. She looked up to smile at him and realized just how close they were. Pippin watched as she blushed and backed away quickly. It looked like Frodo was right…it was up to him.

The very walk toward the Green Dragon was a happy one. Every hobbit they passed sent a friendly hello their way, often sending a second one once they realized who it was. And when they entered the inn the great cheer went up and ales were pushed into their hands by very happy, and some already very drunk, pub goers.

The celebration lasted a while, but bit by bit things calmed down as other exciting things happened. One of the other hobbits brought in his prize pumpkin which he was planning on entering into the fair the next day. As the other pug goers crowded around him, Mari went to get them another round of drinks while her three friends found a table.

"Hello Rosie." Marina said to the girl behind the bar. The girl spun and smiled, hugging her right across the counter.

"Mari! I was beginning to wonder how long it would take you to say hello!" Marina giggled and hugged her tightly back.

"There have been too many welcome back toasts for me to escape until now!" she said defensively.

"Oh hush you goose, you could have gotten away if you really wanted to."

"True, but I wasn't about to turn down free drinks!" Rosie laughed.

"I didn't think you would! So where have you been this past year?" Marina chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip.

"How about I come by in a few days and relate the entire story? We're not planning on telling very many people really." The promise of being told the true story made Rosie's eyes light up brighter than Gandalf's fireworks.

"Absolutely! I work late nights, as you well know, all through the weekend. But I've been given Tuesday night off. Would you like to meet then?" Marina beamed.

"Sounds perfect! That way I can spend a few days with my parents…they don't even know we're back yet!" Rosie wagged her finger at her, though a smile still sat on her face.

"Naughty Marina, out drinking with friends before she even let's her parents know she's alive."

"Oh hush you; I'll explain it all on Tuesday. I'll see you then!" She grabbed two mugs in each hand, sent Rosie an award winning smile, and danced her way through the tavern to the table her friends had procured. She sat down and slid a mug in front of each of them and for a moment…they just sat and looked at each other.

Here they were…four strangers in a sea of familiar faces. It was all so recognizable and yet…so strange. Marina was the first to smile and raise her mug.

"Here's to being home." She said optimistically. One by one Pippin, Sam and Frodo smiled as well, raising their mugs to hers.

"To being home." They all said and they took a drink from their mugs. A great cheer went up on the other side of the tavern, it seemed another hobbit had brought in their own prize vegetables. And his pumpkin looked to be a tad larger than the first. The four found themselves unable to keep from laughing as the two of them puffed up their chests and tried to prove whose pumpkin was larger.

But what really made their night was when Sam looked up to see Rosie smiling at him. Sam turned and looked at them all, took a great gulp from his mug of ale and went to talk to her. Marina watched him go, turning back with an amused smile. Pippin raised both eyebrows and Frodo just looked at them and burst out laughing. Marina and Pippin stopped trying to hold back their own laughter and the three settled in to enjoy the night. For it was sure to be a good one.

* * *

Marina watched with amusement as Pippin stood in front of the front door of his parent's house. He'd just knocked and was now twitching and fidgeting madly as he waited for someone to come answer it. And, just as Marina expected, the moment the door opened he was dragged inside to the sound of a great crowd cheering. He had a very large family; he had a long night ahead of him. Marina clicked softly to her pony and trotted down the road. Soon she too dismounted and stood by the front gate, just staring.

Her parent's house hadn't changed a bit it seemed. The door had been recently painted it seemed, spots of green paint had splattered across the stone that served as the threshold. The garden was beautiful, flowers on one side and herbs on the other, and not a single weed in sight. Her mother's tiny spade and garden hoe sat neatly against the wall of the house right beside the window where it always had. Marina looked at the window to see a very surprised face disappear. A moment later, the front door opened and there stood her father, frozen in shock.

"Hello Papa…" Marina said in a whisper as she came further into the yard.

"Mari? My little Mari is that you?" Rickford said in a soft voice, and Marina smiled happily.

"It's me…I'm home." He didn't hesitate a moment longer, coming over and pulling her into a strong hug. She threw her arms about his shoulders, burying her face in his neck. He smelled of freshly dug earth and pipe tobacco. Just as he always had and it was wonderful.

"Poppy! Poppy she's back!" she heard Rickford call over her shoulder. Her mother came out of the house a moment later, already crying in happiness.

"Marina, you're back!" Marina laughed releasing her father with one arm to pull her mother in close as well.

"I think I knew that already, but thank you Mother." Poppy laughed, hugging her tightly.

"And you haven't changed a bit, thank the stars." She pulled away a moment later wiping tears from her eyes with the corner of her apron. "Come on in girl, you're skinnier than you've ever been, I'll put on some tea." Marina smiled, knowing that tea for her mother meant a full out meal complete with bread, cheese, and probably some fresh salmon sandwiches. She linked arms with her father who kissed her on the forehead.

"Welcome home, Mari." She smiled the short distance up to his face.

"It's good to be home, Papa."

* * *

"A letter! I got a letter from Arianna!" Marina exclaimed as she dashed through her small house. Pippin's head popped out from his room where he was getting ready. He'd moved in soon after they got back, and it was an arrangement that worked out nicely for both of them.

"Really? What's it say?" Marina giggled.

"I don't know, I haven't opened it yet!" Pippin rolled his eyes and followed her to her bedroom.

"Well get on with it then!" Marina waved him off.

"It'll have to wait until later, we still have a bride to get all dressed up!"

"Hey!" Rosie said, turning away from the mirror. "I'm dressed already!"

"But you're not done. We still have all these lovely flowers and ribbons to put in your hair! Marina waved to the bed where dozens of bouquets sat. It was an obvious joke, there were hundreds of flowers, and there was no way to fit them on Marina's bed let alone in Rosie's hair. The bride giggled merrily, turning back to the mirror.

"Then you'd best get started!" Marina laughed and went to the bed, choosing a few pink and white flowers out of the many to weave into a hair wreath. Pippin struggled to lay his collar flat and Rosie took pity on him and went to help. "You know Pippin, it would help if you had buttoned the shirt up correctly." She pointed out. Marina looked up to see that he had indeed managed to mess up the simple process of getting dressed by missing a button. No wonder the collar wouldn't lay flat! She looked down at her work to hide her smile, but not before she saw Pippin turn a bright pink.

"Right ,well…that would help, yes. I'm going to go fix that." He dashed from the room and Marina smothered her giggles. Rosie didn't bother to hide her own amusement.

"Sometimes I wonder how you can be so in love with him." Marina shrugged.

"I wonder that myself sometimes." She then realized what she'd said and looked up with wide eyes, scrambling for something to say. "I mean…I don't…I…oh dear…" Rosie laughed.

"Oh sweetie, don't bother." Marina groaned and flopped back on her bed and stared at the ceiling, not caring that she was surrounded by the loose flowers from the bouquets.

"I think everyone knows except him." Rosie looked to the doorway and saw Pippin standing there, shirt freshly buttoned, staring at Marina with sparkling eyes.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that…" Rosie said in a whisper. Pippin looked at her with a grin and slipped from the room and Rosie's smile grew. Marina sat up, brushing flowers from her hair and shaking her head.

"No matter. This is your day, and we need to finish getting you ready!" She stood behind Rosie at the mirror, resting the flower wreath on her golden curls and twining the ribbons in her hair. "Perfect…Sam won't be able to take his eyes off of you."

"I should hope not considering I'm the one he's marrying!" Rosie teased. Marina giggled and looked at the clock.

"Oh no! I have to get changed still! I won't take long, just wait here." She dashed from the room almost crashing headlong into Pippin. "Pip! What are you still doing here, you're supposed to be with Sam!"

"I am?"

"Yes!" Marina exclaimed in exasperation, shooing him from the house. "Go make sure he and Frodo are all ready for the ceremony, it's supposed to start soon!" As soon as he was gone, Marina went to change in her room. She twisted her hair up and was about to tie it with a ribbon when Rosie was behind her, placing a fresh flower wreath on her head. With a few deft twists and tucks, her hair was twisted around the wreath.

"And now Pippin won't be able to keep _his_ eyes off of _you_." She whispered in Marina's ear. Marina blushed a deep red, looking down.

"We'll see." Rosie shook her head, chuckling to herself. She certainly would see, even Marina wouldn't be able to deny her feelings any longer after today.

* * *

_Ugh, Mari and pippin are soooo close! Yet i'm making you wait anyway, aren't I evil? :D_

_Anyways, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!_

_Please review, I would love to know what everyone thought of this chapter. We're getting close to the end people!!_

_Your Humble Authoress,_

_Whisperwings  
_


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Marina stood in the crowd, happily clapping as Sam and Rosie shared their first kiss as husband and wife. The smile on her face shone so bright Pippin was having a hard time looking away from her, despite the lovely scene playing out in front of them.

Pippin ran the plan through his mind over and over again. Despite its simplicity he was sure he'd somehow mess something up. Even now as the moment was drawing nearer his heart was beating faster than he could ever remember.

Marina giggled and looked to her right, seeing the cheerful look on Frodo's face. She was glad that he was so happy. He'd been so much more melancholy since they'd returned than he used to be. His carefree days were over it seemed, though he wasn't much older than she herself was. So to see him look so joyous made her heart warm. She turned to her left to see Pippin, and though he looked happy, there seemed to something else hidden in his eyes. Nervousness? Worry? Whatever it was, it was an odd emotion to have at a wedding…

She looked up at Sam and Rosie just in time to see the bride smile at her and wink at her. Marina raised an eyebrow in slight confusion, but shook it off. Likely she was simply teasing Marina about her newly admitted feelings for the hobbit beside her. Rosie took aim and tossed her bouquet and following tradition, everyone stood perfectly still. There was no point in trying to catch the thing, because fate would determine whose hand it would end up in. So imagine Marina's surprise when it was Pippin who caught it!

Frodo looked at him with an amused smile and Pippin blushed a bit, holding the bouquet out to Marina.

"Would you hold this for a moment?" he asked. Frodo chuckled as she raised an eyebrow, but she took the bundle of flowers without asking what was going on. Frodo simply chuckled and grinned at Sam and Rosie who'd come to stand beside him to watch. Marina looked at them all in slightly annoyed confusion.

Just as she was opening her mouth to ask what was going on though, Pippin slipped an arm about her waist, pulled her close and kissed her. The cheer in the crowd was louder than it had been for Sam and Rosie's!

Marina felt her eyes flutter shut and Rosie's wedding bouquet slipped from limp fingers. This couldn't be happening, it had to be a dream! But…Pippin's lips were soft and his arm was strong about her waist. She felt her arms raise and slip around his neck as her surprised limpness flowed away. It was real…she'd never dreamed this would happen!

When Pippin pulled away she smiled happily at him, her fingers brushing down his cheek in a feather light touch.

"Now Pip, was it my imagination or did you just kiss me?" she whispered. He grinned at her, his eyes sparking.

"My dear Mari, was it my imagination or did you enjoy it?" Marina laughed, hugging him tightly and whispering in his ear.

"It was better than I'd ever dreamed it would be." She felt him chuckle and pulled away slightly to look him in the eye. "What?"

"Well that was the goal. It only figures that I would have succeeded beyond your expectations." Marina raised an eyebrow at his cockiness, holding back laughter.

"Oh really now? Well…I bet I can do better." Before he had a chance to retort, she pulled his face down to hers, kissing him with all the love and passion that had collected in her heart. By the time she pulled away, he looked completely dazed.

"Alright...you win…" he said in a voice almost an octave higher than normal. She laughed merrily.

"I told you I would!"

"Well…if I say mine was still better…would you be trying again?" Marina gave him a look and he laughed. "Alright alright I'm kidding! Sort of…" Frodo popped up between them, flinging an arm about each of their shoulders.

"Now now you two, this is Sam and Rosie's day, you shouldn't detract from it!" Rosie, laughing happily, appeared at Marina's other side.

"Frodo, this was exactly what you expected to happen, was it not?"

"Well, that's true."

"So," said Sam, attached to Rosie's arm, "let it happen! They've made our wedding all the happier." He and Rosie shared an innocent kiss that made Marina blush.

"No no." she said with a laugh. "Frodo is right. This day is for you two; Pippin and I won't be cause for distraction anymore." Rosie leaned over with a mischievous smile and whispered in her ear.

"Well if you two disappear early I won't hold it against you." Marina blushed a deep red, her hands on her overly warm cheeks, as Rosie dragged Sam away to the dance floor. Frodo followed them, joining a pretty girl and twirling her about beside them, and the party was off.

In the meantime, Pippin took her hands and pulled them away from her rosy cheeks, kissing the back of each. "Marina…" he whispered. She smiled softly at him, the very way he spoke her name made her heart fill with joy.

"Yes Pippin?"

"I've wanted to say this for…well, since the battle at Minas Tirith. But…I love you." Marina couldn't hold back a smile and it spread across her face like a wild fire. She flung her arms about him, burying her face in his neck.

"Oh Pip…I love you too! I have for…oh goodness, for forever I think!" Pippin laughed and hugged her close, lifting her right off the ground.

"It's the same for me. I only realized it when I thought I'd reached the end… I was going to die and all I could think about was you." Marina hugged him tighter and he sat down gently on a nearby bench.

"When I was out there…after the Witchking died…I was cold and numb and I was certain that I wasn't going to live through the night. But I could only think about you. About where you were, if you were alright…I think that was the longest night of my life."

Pippin gently stroked her hair, holding her close. "I hated that night…after all the killing and bloodshed, I'd thought everything would be alright. But then I found your cloak…and I knew you were out there somewhere, possibly dead! I was so afraid I'd lost you…"

Marina pulled away to smile at him. "Well that's all over now…we didn't lose anyone. Not permanently at least… We still have each other, and we're still at a wedding. And I think it's time for a dance, don't you?" Pippin beamed and hopped to his feet, practically dragging her to the dance floor.

"I think you're right Mari, I think you're right."

* * *

The day Bilbo came back to the Shire was a bitter sweet one for everyone. He could barely walk he'd aged so much. It seemed the loss of the ring had taken its toll; he actually looked his age now. And that wasn't it. He was dying. They all knew it. So did he, yet he still wore his happy smile. Coming to the Shire was only a pit stop for his real journey. He'd been extended an invitation from the elves, they were going to take him with them on the ships across the sea. They were taking him to the Grey Havens. It was a great honor for a simple hobbit to be taken there, even if Bilbo was anything but a simple hobbit.

As it was, Bilbo's visit was a short one. But he'd brought many friends with him. Gandalf was providing him an escort, and he happily stayed with Bilbo and Frodo at Baggend. Legolas and Arianna had come along as well, staying in the big folk sized rooms in Marina and Pippin's house. Seeing as most of the hobbits still saw Gandalf as a "disturber of the peace", they decided to simply enjoy a private gathering rather than party at the Green Dragon. Though when Marina and Arianna went to the pub to get a barrel of ale, the woman managed to charm all of its early afternoon visitors. Marina didn't know how she did it, but as they left she heard everyone there talking about what a kind lady she was and that they hoped she would visit again.

That night was calm but very enjoyable. Everyone took turns telling stories of their adventures, remembering the old days in voices filled with fond memories. Eventually they started to tell of more recent adventures, things which had happened since they'd parted back in Minas Tirith.

Arianna and Legolas had been working with the Ents in Fangorn to make Saruman's tower a beautiful place once again. They'd also been fighting off the remainders of Sauron's army which was still scattered across Middle Earth. It was quite a daunting task… The few remaining elves were working with the men of Gondor and Rohan to rid the land of the Dark Lord's filth, but it was a time consuming process. More than once, Sauron's officers had tried to group together their forces to attack, but they'd managed to keep them under control for the most part.

Most of the elves were leaving Middle Earth across the sea, only a select few staying behind. Legolas's status as an elvish prince had mostly faded by now, seeing as he had no one to be a prince of. Instead, he and Arianna would be the Lord and Lady of their land, which they'd merged with that of the other elves. The few elves that remained seemed determined to keep their land joined. Over time, the elves planned to pass on their rule to that of man, eventually creating a new country of sorts to live alongside Gondor and Rohan. And at the moment, it looked like Legolas and Arianna were being given the honor of leading them all. Arianna was happy to joke about how she'd escaped being a queen for one people only to inherit it from someone else entirely.

Gandalf had some stories of his own to tell, involving him using his magic to find the evil forces who'd hidden away, as well as helping to restore places like The Mines of Moria to their former glory. Marina and Pippin told of the way the outer borders of the Shire had been breached by such forces, and how the two of them had been the ones who'd taken charge and led the defense. Other nations would see it as a pathetic force of hobbits, but considering what they had to work with, they'd done a remarkable job. Marina taught them to fight while Pippin took care of the more strategic things. They made a good team, and had kept the borders safe from all enemies so far.

When the talk grew too serious and melancholy, Bilbo cut in, joking about how of all the people to lead a hobbit army Marina and Pippin would have been the least expected. The conversation angled back towards more enjoyable topics, but before long they were all yawning with exhaustion. They all said a happy goodnight, leaving with promises to meet up at Baggend in time to leave the next morning.

The walk home for Marina, Pippin, Arianna and Legolas was a nice one. They had to stay quiet considering the late hour, but none of them minded it. Once they reached the house Marina and Pippin shared, the boys went in for bed while the girls sat down on the hill over the hobbit hole.

"I see things have worked out well for you and Pippin." Arianna said in a soft voice, laying down in the grass. Marina looked at her in confusion.

"Of course, I told you about everything in my letters."

Arianna shrugged. "It's not the same as seeing it in person. How did the two of you convince your families to let you live together?"

Marina chuckled and flopped back onto the grass as well. "It wasn't easy. Despite the fact that we've all known each other since Pip and I were children, they didn't seem too happy with the idea." Arianna grinned and laughed softly.

"So what did you say?"

"I told them that we would be having Big Folk visit us a lot and that unless they wanted them staying at their houses we needed a place of our own!"

"And that did it?"

"Well, not really, no. But by that point Pippin and I had already bought land and had gotten together a group of friends to start digging our new home. So they didn't have much of a say."

"So you got to design the house yourself? I thought you had just bought a house and enlarged bits of it."

"No, it was much more exciting! Pippin and I spent weeks planning it out, and had a grand time. We put in a few secret passages even!" Arianna laughed merrily.

"Knowing you two, that doesn't surprise me. Do you have a secret back door somewhere?"

"Well, we call it an escape route, but yes. It's very handy when people come looking for us."

"Which generally happens only after you've done something to them to make them angry, does it not?"

"Well…alright, yes. But it's worth it!" the two of them laughed happily then let it fade into the night air as they both watched the sky happily.

"You should visit us soon." Arianna said softly, a secretive smile on her face. "I believe I could use your help with…decorating a room."

"Decorating? Whatever for?"

"Well, none of the rooms in our house are currently suitable for children." Arianna said evasively. Marina sat up sharply, looking down at her.

"Ari…are you…?" Arianna bit her lip and nodded. Marina let out a whoop of happiness and hugged her tightly. "Why haven't you said anything?! I'm sure everyone would love to hear the news!"

"Because we're here to say goodbye to some of our closest friends. I don't want the memory of my first born to be associated with such a sad event. Which is why I want you and Pippin to visit! Gimli is planning to come stay with us for a time, and Aragorn and Arwen already are. And I'll be sending a letter to Èowyn as well. Once I have our family together again, I'll make a formal announcement." Marina squealed in happiness, bouncing in her seat on the grass.

"Oh this will be so exciting! Pippin and I will be able to get away petty soon I'm sure, and we'll drag Sam and Frodo along without telling them where we're going. Just for fun!" Arianna laughed and nodded, standing and stretching.

"Alright, we have a plan. Legolas and I will be leaving before you all leave for the docks, we have business to attend to at home."

Marina nodded. "I understand. I'll be sure to say goodbye for you."

"You have my thanks. Now, it's off to bed for me, goodnight Marina!" she made her way quietly inside and Marina happily flopped back into the grass. She was so happy for her dear friends, starting a family of their own now. She knew Arianna was ecstatic about it, despite the quiet happiness she showed the world.

Arianna was a lot like the elves in that way…it was obvious to Marina she'd been raised by them. Though she tended to be louder and more rowdy than the immortal beings themselves, she was still quiet and reserved as far as the humans went. She was like a bridge between the two races.

Marina wondered why it was the two of them were so close… she was loud even for a hobbit and she loved attention and drama. She hated being stuck in the background and being ignored. They were complete opposites and yet the best of friends. She smiled and giggled to herself. Maybe they just balanced each other out.

"Mari?" she heard a familiar voice say. She turned her head to see Pippin standing at the bottom of the hill their house sat under. "What are you doing?"

"I'm just lying here. Why, is it bothering you?" she asked coyly. Pippin came up the hill to look down at her.

"If it was would it make a difference?"

"Not really, no."

"That's what I thought." Pippin said with a smirk. He came over and before Marina could make a move, he'd lifted her right off the ground and was carrying her inside.

"Pip, what are you doing?" she asked in a high pitched voice.

"Making you go to bed, we have a long ride tomorrow."

"So? We've had longer." She pointed out as he carried her into her room.

"Doesn't matter." Pip said with a smirk, dropping her to the bed where she landed with a thwump. Marina scrambled to her feet, only putting up a fight because it was fun.

"Yes it does. You can't make me do anything." She said, hands on her hips. Pippin just laughed, grabbing her around the waist and pulling them both down onto the bed. Marina giggled merrily, snuggling close. She had no reason to fight anymore; she'd gotten what she wanted.

"Goodnight Pippin." She whispered as she slowly drifted off to sleep, not caring she was still dressed. Pippin smiled down at her, kissing her wild curls before closing his own eyes.

"Goodnight Mari, I love you."

* * *

_Well, I'm hoping I have a large number of very happy readers right now. Seeing as it took Marina and Pippin almost the entire story to get together! One more chapter left, they almost held out to the very end :P_

_Anyways, i'm hoping everyone enjoyed this chapter, and please please PLEASE review and let me know what you thought._

_See you all next week for the final chapter!!_

_Your Humble Authoress, _

_Whisperwings  
_


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Mari gripped Pippin's hand as the two of them led the way through the city by the sea. Frodo and Sam had taken each of Bilbo's arms, helping the older man along. The city was all staircases and winding paths around beautifully carved towers, it would have been impossible to bring the carriage through.

The beauty of the city did nothing to break the cloud of sorrow which hung over Marina's head though. They were here to say goodbye to some of their dearest friends, it was anything but a joyful occasion as far as she was concerned. Pippin squeezed her fingers and offered her a soft smile. He was sad too, she could tell. But they had each other…it would make this a little bit easier.

Finally they came down the final staircase to the dock. A single ship sat at the dock, Galadriel, Celeborn and Elrond standing patiently beside it.

"Oh! Here is a sight I have never seen before." Bilbo said with happy awe. If this was to be his final adventure, then Marina was happy it would be a lovely one.

"The power of the three rings has ended." Galadriel said in her deep mystery filled voice. "The time has come for the dominion of men."

"I aear can vên na mar" Elrond said with a smile. Marina leaned close and asked Pippin what he'd said. Pippin answered with a smile.

"It means 'the sea calls us home'." He whispered, and Marina's smile grew proud. Pippin been studying elvish and was a natural with it. Marina had tried to do the same but she wasn't overly patient with and had difficulties making herself sit still long enough to learn anything of use.

She stuck with the physical tasks like keeping the house clean and working on her new, flourishing garden. Meanwhile, Pippin was very happily studying elvish, and had recently started working on dwarfish as well. He was also a natural cook and taken control of the kitchen, often kicking Marina out entirely as she seemed to be bad luck and made things burn simply by being there. They were quite the interesting couple, and others often enjoyed pointing out that their roles in their relationship were rather backwards.

Bilbo smiled and stepped forward, only his cane for help. He was so excited about this, it made Marina grin. "I think I'm quite ready for another adventure." He said with a happy smile. Elrond sent a final smile in their direction before placing a hand on Bilbo's shoulder. The old hobbit seemed to be gaining energy with each and every step, soon hopping happily down onto the deck as if he was a tween again. Celeborn followed, much more gracefully of course. Galadriel looked at the hobbits, an almost mischievous smile on her face before she also climbed on board.

Now Gandalf stepped forward and turned, leaning on his staff to smile fondly down at them all. "Farewell…my brave hobbits. My work is now finished." It finally hit Marina that after this they would never see Gandalf again. The thought made tears spill over and Pippen gripped her hand tightly. "Here at last, on the shores of the sea, comes the end of our Fellowship." He smiled softly at Marina. "I will not say do not weep, for not all tears are an evil."

Marina sniffed softly. "That's good…because I don't think I could stop." She said with a crooked smile. Gandalf chuckled and started to walk away, pausing and turning when he was only halfway to the boat.

"It is time, Frodo." Marina's tears stopped short as surprise overtook all else. Her lips parted but her jaw simply flapped as she searched for words, looking at Frodo in shock.

"What does he mean?" Sam asked, his eyes already filling with tears. Frodo gave him a small but sure smile. His blue eyes pale with emotion.

"We set out to save the Shire, Sam. And it has been saved. But not for me."

"Frodo…it's different but…but that's not a bad thing." Marina whispered her voice squeaking. "We all changed, why can't we simply...make it work?"

"Because I crossed a line Mari. I passed some sort of barrier and the gate is locked tight behind me. I can never go back."

"You don't mean that, you can't leave!" Sam exclaimed, sobbing. Frodo simply held out the red leather bound book to him.

"The last pages are for you Sam." He said softly. He turned as Sam hugged the book close, trying to compose himself somewhat. Marina didn't bother to try; she simply burst into tears as Frodo hugged her close.

"You can't leave." She whispered, even as she hugged him tight. "You're supposed to be my big brother, you're supposed to be here to see me get married and give me advice which I won't listen to." Frodo chuckled and pulled away, kissing her softly on the cheek.

"Mari, even if I'm not here, you're still my little sister. I saw you and Pippin fall in love, and that's good enough for me. As for advice…you're going to go through the rest of your life imagining what I would say to things, and you'll ignore my advice without me having to be here to give it." Marina couldn't bring herself to smile, despite his attempt to make it happen. She simply kissed his cheek and squeezed his hands, before stepping back.

Frodo then turned to Pippin and pulled him into a hug as well. "You take good care of her." He whispered. Pippin nodded as they parted.

"I will. I promise." Pippin stepped over to Marina as Frodo turned away, pulling the crying girl close. As Frodo and Sam embraced, Marina buried her face in Pippin's shoulder, letting him be the strong one for once as she tried to calm down.

Frodo finally turned away from them all and went to join Gandalf on the gangplank. A moment before he followed his uncle onto the ship, he turned and looked at the three hobbits one last time. And he smiled. It was the happiest smile any of them had seen since they'd come home. And despite the sad reason for his being at peace, it made the three of them smile as well.

He was happy…and as his friends, they couldn't really ask for anything more.

The three of them stood together as she ship sailed slowly out of the harbor. Pippin kept an arm about Marina's waist and Marina held Sam's hand. Finally, as she ship sailed out of sight, they turned and traveled somberly though the stone city, back to their ponies. Sam mounted up first, and led the other two away at a quick pace. He seemed eager to leave, and neither the other two could really blame him. Whether he wanted to get home faster or leave the harbor city faster Marina and Pippin didn't know. Nor did they care. They easily kept up with him as they traveled in silence.

As they rode, Marina finally came to grips with the situation. She'd seen how miserable Frodo had been recently. As the days and weeks went by, he spent his time as if he were moving in slow motion. He no longer had a reason to get up each morning, he no longer had a reason to live. He'd been able to pretend, and he'd tried to do so for the sake of his friends. But they'd all realized it was an act.

She couldn't imagine how unhappy it had made him. He would have known they saw through his act…he would have felt terrible for worrying them. Which, in turn, would have only made him feel worse. It was a never ending cycle. Leaving…had been an escape.

Marina and Pippin waved at Sam as he took a different road to get home, and she grabbed Pippin's hand as they continued riding.

"Pip?"

"Yes Mari?" he asked softly, still staring sadly at the pommel of his saddle.

"I love you." He turned to look at her, a tiny smile on his face.

"I love you too Mari… Do…do you think he'll be happier? Frodo I mean. He hasn't been happy." Marina gave him a sad, but confident smile.

"I do Pip. I think he'll be very happy now. You were the one who told me how wonderful the place across the sea was. How could he not be happy in such a magnificent place?"

"Do you think we'll see him again?" Marina squeezed his fingers with a gentle smile, then dismounted in front of their small home.

"Yes Pippin." She said as he came to hold her close. She snuggled against him, burying her face in his shoulder as they simply stood together for a moment. "I think that one day, we'll go and find him sitting on the shore, his pants rolled up and wriggling his toes in the sand." She closed her eyes and smiled. "And then we'll all be together again. Gandalf said this was the end of our Fellowship, but I disagree. We're just taking a break for a while, until we can all meet each other there."

Pippin smiled and kissed the top of her head, feeling her wild curls tickle his nose. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?" she asked, pulling away to look at him in confusion. Pippin kissed her nose, making her giggle.

"Make me so happy." He whispered, and Marina only smiled at him.

"Because I love you. And because you love me. And because we know that that's enough." Her smile grew into a light smirk. "Also because you're very easy to please."

"Oh, I'm what now?" Pippin asked, his eyebrows so high they were hidden in his hair. "What makes you think I'm pleased?"

Marina giggled merrily and pulled away. "Well, you're not right now…but you will be soon. Lunch awaits us, and then I think a nap is in order." Pippin smiled. First food, and then an hour or three of simply holding Marina in his arms. It sounded heavenly to him. He swept past her to the round door of the hobbit hole, kissing her sweetly before he grabbed her hand and pulled her inside.

"Come on my love, you can watch me cook. Elsewise we'll be stuck with burnt toast and water." Marina only laughed and let her pull her inside.

"You're lucky I love you so much." She said, pulling one hand from his and reached to the open front door. "Otherwise you'd wake up with frogs in your bed." she teased, closing the cherry red door with a gentle snap.

The End

* * *

_I...think i'm going to start hyperventilating in a moment...this is the last chapter. The story is over. It's the end. OMG I can't believe it!!!_

_I have been writing this story for years. I started it in tenth grade of high school, and i'm now in my junior year of college. To be exact, I created the document Chapter 1 of What If... on February 11, 2006 at 4:52:31 PM. That's not when I posted the story on here, that's when i started writing it. it is now January 14, 2010, 7:11:45 PM. It's been almost 4 years!! I've been working on this story for FOUR years!_

_And now it's over... I think I may cry..._

_Well everyone, it's been quite a journey! Bumpy and smooth, and all manner or rocky in between. And you, my amazing wonderful readers, have helped me through it all. I love you so much, you kept me going all this time! I hope you've had as great a time reading this story as I have writing it! Actually...I hope you enjoyed reading it a lot more, since there were times I hated this thing with a passion :P_

_Well, i'll wrap this up then. Everyone please review, tell me if you loved or hated the story as a whole or just this chapter...I don't care, but an inbox full of reviews will mae me the happiest girl in the world!_

_Your humble authoress,_

_Whisperwings_

_(P.S. I do have other stories, so if you're interested in reading them please do! And i've already starting work on a new LotR story as well ^^)  
_


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